Special Sense Organs

Vocabulary flashcards covering the structure, pathways, and innervations of the special sense organs based on the lecture notes.

Five Special Senses

The five primary sensory modalities in the human body: sight, taste, smell, hearing, and equilibrium.

Fibrous Tunic

The outer tunic of the eye, composed of the sclera and cornea.

Vascular Tunic (Uvea)

The middle tunic of the eye, composed of the choroid, ciliary body, and iris.

Retina (Sensory Tunic)

The inner sensory tunic of the eye, composed of a pigmented layer and a neural layer, which houses sensory receptors.

Pupil

The central opening of the iris.

Optic Nerve (CN II)

Nerve formed by axons of retinal ganglion cells leaving the eye, carrying half of each visual field's information.

Optic Chiasma

The location in the visual pathway where fibers carrying visual information from both temporal fields cross over.

Optic Tract

Visual pathway fibers beyond the chiasm, carrying information for the contralateral visual field to the thalamus.

Lateral Geniculate Body

Thalamic structure where most fibers in the optic tracts synapse.

Primary Visual Cortex

Cortical area located in the occipital lobes (Brodmann's 17, 18) that integrates visual information.

Superior Rectus Muscle

Extrinsic eye muscle originating on the orbit surface and inserting on the sclera; action is elevation of gaze; innervated by oculomotor nerve (CN III).

Inferior Rectus Muscle

Extrinsic eye muscle that depresses gaze; innervated by oculomotor nerve (CN III).

Medial Rectus Muscle

Extrinsic eye muscle that adducts gaze; innervated by oculomotor nerve (CN III).

Lateral Rectus Muscle

Extrinsic eye muscle that abducts gaze; innervated by abducens nerve (CN VI).

Superior Oblique Muscle

Extrinsic eye muscle that depresses and abducts gaze; innervated by trochlear nerve (CN IV).

Inferior Oblique Muscle

Extrinsic eye muscle that elevates and abducts gaze; innervated by oculomotor nerve (CN III).

LR6 SO4

Mnemonic rule indicating Lateral Rectus is innervated by CN VI, Superior Oblique by CN IV, and the remaining extrinsic eye muscles by CN III.

Anterior 2/3 Tongue Taste Innervation

Special sensory innervation for taste supplied by the facial nerve (CN VII).

Anterior 2/3 Tongue General Sensory Innervation

General sensory innervation supplied by the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (CN V3).

Posterior 1/3 Tongue Innervation

Supplied for both special sensory for taste AND general sensory by the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).

Styloglossus Muscle

Extrinsic tongue muscle that elevates and retracts the tongue; innervated by hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).

Hyoglossus Muscle

Extrinsic tongue muscle that depresses and retracts the tongue; innervated by hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).

Genioglossus Muscle

Extrinsic tongue muscle that protracts the tongue; innervated by hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).

Primary Olfactory Cortex

Primary cortical area for smell located mostly at the medial aspect of the temporal lobe for conscious awareness of odors.

Stapes

The tiniest bone in the body, located in the middle ear, which stomps on the oval window to send signals to the inner ear.