Receptors and Sensory Systems

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to receptors and sensory systems based on the provided lecture transcript.

Receptors

Specialized cells or structures that detect stimuli from the environment and send information to the central nervous system.

Sensory Pathway

The route through which sensory information travels to the central nervous system.

Sensation

The process of receiving and interpreting stimuli from the environment.

Perception

The conscious awareness and interpretation of sensory information by the brain.

General Receptors

Receptors that detect general sensations such as touch, pain, temperature, and pressure.

Special Receptors

More complex receptors responsible for special senses such as smell, taste, balance, hearing, and vision.

Tonic Receptors

Receptors that continuously send signals and are always active.

Phasic Receptors

Receptors that are only active when a change in stimulus occurs.

Peripheral Adaptation

The process by which receptors decrease their signaling despite the presence of a continuous stimulus.

Interoceptors

Receptors that monitor the internal environment of the body.

Exteroceptors

Receptors that detect stimuli from the external environment.

Nociceptors

Receptors that respond to potentially damaging stimuli, indicating pain.

Thermoreceptors

Receptors that detect changes in temperature.

Mechanoreceptors

Receptors that respond to physical distortion such as stretch or pressure.

Chemoreceptors

Receptors that detect chemical changes in the body, such as pH or the presence of gases.

Olfaction

The sense of smell, which relies on chemoreceptors.

Gustation

The sense of taste, which detects chemicals in food through taste buds.

Photoreceptors

Specialized cells in the retina that detect light.

Cochlea

The spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear responsible for hearing.

Semicircular Canals

Structures in the inner ear that help maintain balance and equilibrium.

Vestibule

The part of the inner ear involved in balance, containing the utricle and saccule.

Retina

The innermost layer of the eye containing photoreceptors for vision.

Fovea Centralis

A small pit in the retina where visual acuity is highest, containing only cone photoreceptors.

Ciliary Body

Structure in the eye that controls the shape of the lens and produces aqueous humor.

Aqueous Humor

The fluid that fills the anterior chamber of the eye, maintaining intraocular pressure.

Vitreous Humor

A gel-like substance that fills the posterior cavity of the eye, maintaining its shape.

Optic Nerve

The nerve that transmits visual information from the retina to the brain.