Chapter 7-8: Introduction to Sensory Systems and Taste

Flashcards covering key concepts related to the vestibular system, taste, and olfaction from the lecture notes.

Vestibular System

A system in the inner ear that contributes to the perception of self-motion, head position, and spatial orientation relative to gravity.

Degrees of Freedom

The six degrees of freedom refer to the three translational motions (up/down, left/right, forward/backward) and three rotational motions (roll, pitch, yaw) in three-dimensional space.

Otoconia

Small calcium carbonate crystals located in the vestibular system that help detect gravity and head tilts by shifting within a gelatinous membrane.

Saccule and Utricle

Components of the vestibular system, part of the inner ear that detect linear accelerations and gravity.

Ampulla

The bulbous expansion at the base of each semicircular canal in the vestibular system that contains sensory epithelium with hair cells.

Transient Signal

A brief signal that lasts only for a short duration, often in response to rapid changes, like acceleration.

Tonic Signal

A sustained signal that continues as long as a condition persists, such as head tilt due to gravity.

Supertasters

Individuals with a heightened ability to taste, possessing more taste buds and sensitivity to certain tastes.

Taste Buds

Structures on the tongue that contain taste receptor cells; they are responsible for detecting taste sensations.

G Protein Coupled Receptors

A large family of receptors that detect a variety of external signals and play a key role in taste and olfaction transduction.

Olfaction

The sense of smell, involving the detection of airborne odorant molecules by olfactory receptors.

Anosmia

A condition characterized by a loss of the sense of smell.

Retronasal Olfaction

The perception of odors retronasally, often contributing to the sense of taste by allowing molecules to move from the mouth to the nasal cavity.

Glomeruli

Clusters of neurons in the olfactory bulb that receive signals from olfactory sensory neurons that express the same type of receptor.

Chemical Transduction

The process by which chemical stimuli are converted into cellular signals, significant in both taste and olfaction.

Taste Receptors

Molecules located in taste buds that bind to specific chemical substances, leading to the perception of different tastes.

Cilia

Hair-like structures on olfactory receptor neurons that extend into the mucous layer of the nasal cavity, where they detect odorant molecules.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers released by taste cells that transmit signals to the brain regarding taste.

Papillae

Small bumps on the tongue that contain taste buds, responsible for the perception of taste.

Macula

A term referring to the sensory epithelium in the utricle and saccule involved in detecting linear acceleration.

Inertia

The tendency of an object to resist changes to its state of motion.

Cyclic AMP

A secondary messenger involved in the signaling pathways of taste and olfaction, produced as a result of receptor activation.