Peripheral Nervous System and Special Senses

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to the peripheral nervous system and special senses.

Afferent fibers

Nerve fibers that carry sensory signals toward the central nervous system.

Efferent fibers

Nerve fibers that carry motor signals away from the central nervous system to effectors.

Chemoreceptors

Sensory receptors that respond to chemical signals, primarily related to smell and taste.

Thermoreceptors

Sensory receptors that respond to changes in temperature.

Photoreceptors

Sensory receptors that respond to light, crucial for vision.

Nociceptors

Sensory receptors that respond to potentially damaging stimuli, resulting in the perception of pain.

Mechanoreceptors

Sensory receptors that generate nerve impulses when they are deformed by mechanical forces.

Organ of Corti

A structure in the cochlea with hair cells that respond to sound vibrations.

Anosmia

Loss of the sense of smell.

Gustatory

Related to the sense of taste.

Photoreceptors (Rods and Cones)

Rods are responsible for black-and-white vision, while cones are responsible for color vision.

Optic Nerve

The second cranial nerve that transmits visual signals from the retina to the brain.

Sclera

The white outer layer of the eyeball that provides structure.

Cornea

The transparent part of the eye that covers the iris and pupil, allowing light to enter.

Cochlea

A spiral-shaped, fluid-filled inner ear structure that converts sound vibrations into neural signals.

Semicircular canals

Three structures in the inner ear that detect angular movements for balance.

Olfactory bulb

The neural structure involved in the sense of smell, located at the base of the brain.

Taste buds

Sensory organs on the tongue that are responsible for the sense of taste.

Fungiform papillae

Mushroom-shaped structures on the tongue that contain taste buds.

Circumvallate papillae

Large circular structures on the tongue that contain many taste buds.

Basilar membrane

A membrane in the cochlea that vibrates in response to sound waves.