Nervous System and Sensory Receptors

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to the nervous system and sensory processing.

CNS

Central Nervous System, the part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord.

PNS

Peripheral Nervous System, consists of nerves and ganglia outside the brain and spinal cord.

Receptor Cell

A cell that receives sensory stimuli and responds to it.

Chemoreceptors

Receptors that respond to chemical stimuli, involved in smell and taste.

Photoreceptors

Receptors that respond to light stimuli, responsible for sight.

Mechanoreceptors

Receptors that respond to mechanical pressure or distortion, involved in hearing and balance.

Thermoreceptors

Receptors that respond to temperature changes, detecting warm and cold.

Action Potential

An electrical signal that travels along the neuron, triggered by stimuli.

Sensory Adaptation

A reduction in sensitivity to a stimulus following prolonged exposure.

Referred Pain

Pain perceived at a location other than the site of the painful stimulus.

Proprioception

The sense of body position and movement, detected by mechanoreceptors.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the body’s fight-or-flight response.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic nervous system that conserves energy and resources during rest.

Equilibrium

The state of physical balance, sensed by the vestibular system in the inner ear.

Olfaction

The sense of smell, involving chemoreceptors located in the nasal cavity.

Gustation

The sense of taste, involving chemoreceptors on the tongue.

Lens

Transparent structure in the eye that focuses light onto the retina.

Cataracts

Loss of transparency in the lens, often due to aging.

Glaucoma

Increased intraocular pressure that can damage the retina.

Myopia

Nearsightedness; light focuses in front of the retina.

Hyperopia

Farsightedness; light focuses behind the retina.

Stereoscopic Vision

Ability to perceive depth based on the slightly different images from each eye.

Organ of Corti

The sensory structure in the cochlea that contains hair cells responsive to sound.

Tympanic membrane

Also known as the eardrum, it vibrates in response to sound waves.

Otitis Media

Inflammation of the middle ear, often due to infection.

Taste buds

Structures on the tongue that contain taste receptor cells.

Thalamus

Brain structure that relays sensory information to the cerebrum, except for smell.