Anatomy and Physiology of the Sensory System

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about the sensory system, including definitions of important terms related to anatomy and physiology.

Intraocular pressure (IOP)

The fluid pressure inside the eye.

Optic chiasm

The point in the visual pathway where nerve impulses cross before passing to the thalamus.

Oval and round windows

The openings between the middle and inner ears.

Perilymph

The fluid within the bony labyrinth of the ear.

Tactile sensations

Sensations that include touch, pressure, itch, tickle, and vibration.

Type II cutaneous mechanoreceptors

Also known as Ruffini corpuscles, detect pressure.

Pacinian corpuscles

Receptors that respond to deep pressure and vibration.

Joint kinesia receptors

Proprioceptive receptors that provide information about the degree and rate of angulations of joints.

Olfactory pathway

The neural pathway for olfaction that includes olfactory receptors, bulbs, tracts, and the cerebral cortex.

Ampulla

The swollen enlargement at the end of each semicircular canal.

Tympanic membrane

A thin, semitransparent partition that separates the external auditory canal from the middle ear.

Endolymph

The fluid found in the membranous labyrinth of the ear.

Reissner's membrane

The membrane that separates the cochlear duct from the scala vestibule.

Otolithic membrane

The gelatinous glycoprotein layer over the hair cells in the maculae.

Astigmatism

Blurred vision caused by an irregular curvature of the cornea or lens.

Image formation

The process that requires refraction, accommodation, and other factors.

Spinothalamic tract

The neural pathway that conveys sensory impulses for pain and temperature.

Lateral corticospinal tract

The tract that conveys motor impulses for precise contraction of muscles in the distal portions of the limbs.

Pain receptors

Also known as nociceptors, they detect painful stimuli.

Proprioceptive awareness

The ability to recognize exactly what point of the body is touched.

Lower motor neurons

Neurons that extend from cranial nerve motor nuclei or spinal cord anterior horns to skeletal muscle fibers.

Tectospinal tracts

Tracts that convey impulses that control voluntary movements of the head and neck.