Anatomy and Physiology Day 7: The Sensory and Immune Systems

Practice flashcards covering the sensory system (vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch) and the immune system (lymphatic structures, white blood cells, and immunoglobulins).

Sensory perceptions

The process of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and sensing warmth, softness, pressure, vibration, pain, and equilibrium.

Equilibrium

The sense of knowing whether or not the body is moving and sensing posture and position in space.

General sense organs

Organs widely distributed in muscles, tendons, joints, and internal organs that detect pain, touch, temperature, pressure, itching, and proprioception.

Special sensory organs

The eyes, ears, tongue, nose, and skin, which detect vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.

Ophthalmology

The study of the eye and vision.

Orbit

A ball-shaped, cone-shaped cavity of the skull that houses and protects the eyeball, padded with fatty tissue to prevent injury.

Palpebrae

Retractable covers for the eye's anterior surface, also known as eyelids.

Blephar(o)-

The medical prefix for eyelid.

Conjunctiva

A membrane over the surface of the eyeball that acts as a protective covering for the exposed surface.

Lacrimal gland

A gland that produces tears for cleaning and lubrication that also act as an antiseptic.

Sclera

The outer protective layer of the eye shown in the choroid and cornea section.

Lens

A transparent, crystalline eye structure that converges or scatters light rays before they focus as images on the retina.

Cones

Specialized neurons concentrated in the retina's center that receive color (photopic vision) and add visual acuity but require significant light.

Rods

Specialized neurons dispersed throughout the retina suited for dim light (scotopic vision) and useful in night vision.

Optic nerve (CN II)

The cranial nerve responsible for carrying visual stimuli and images to the brain.

Oculomotor nerve (CN III)

The nerve that constricts and dilates the pupil, elevates the eyelid, and innervates the superior, inferior, and medial rectus, and inferior oblique muscles.

Aqueous humor

Liquid that flows through the anterior eye chamber to maintain intraocular pressure between $10-24\,mmHg$.

Vitreous humor

A transparent, gelatin-like material that fills the space behind the lens of the eye.

Fovea centralis

An area within the macula of the retina responsible for the sharpest vision.

Optic disk

The part of the eye referred to as the blind spot.

Otology

The medical specialty concerned with disorders of the ear.

Audiology

The medical specialty related to hearing and the measurement of hearing acuity.

Pinna (auricle)

The external part of the ear.

Cerumen

A substance secreted by ceruminous glands in the auditory canal, commonly known as earwax.

Ossicles

The three small bones of the middle ear: the malleus, incus, and stapes.

Eustachian tube

A tube connecting the middle ear to the nasopharynx that helps control atmospheric pressure.

Organ of Corti

The true organ of hearing located within the cochlea.

CN VIII (Auditory nerve)

The acoustic or vestibulocochlear nerve, containing the cochlear nerve for sound and the vestibular nerve for balance.

Myopia

Nearsightedness; a condition where light rays are focused in front of the retina, allowing close objects to be clear but distant objects to be blurry.

Hyperopia

Farsightedness.

Astigmatism

A condition caused by lens and cornea curvature irregularities where the eye cannot bring horizontal and vertical lines into focus at the same time.

Tinnitus

A high-pitched buzzing sound or ringing in the ears.

Vertigo

A sensation of being rotated or that the room is spinning.

Gustation

The sense of taste based on perceptions of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, metallic, and umami (meaty/fatty) flavors.

Olfactory nerve (CN I)

The nerve responsible for the sense of smell.

Proprioception

The sense relayed by receptors in the skin, semicircular canals, muscles, tendons, and joints about the relationships of body parts to one another.

Immunity

The body's ability to recognize and destroy specific pathogens through a layered defense system.

Lymph

A clear fluid that surrounds body cells and flows through vessels, rich in leukocytes and monocytes but containing less protein than blood plasma.

Interstitial fluid

The fluid that surrounds the cells.

Lymph nodes

Stationary lymph tissue that filters lymph and traps substances; contains macrophages, B lymphocytes, and T lymphocytes.

Spleen

An organ that destroys old erythrocytes, filters microorganisms, activates lymphocytes, and stores blood, erythrocytes, and platelets.

B lymphocytes

Lymphocytes that mature in the bone marrow and develop into plasma cells that produce antibodies.

T lymphocytes

Thymus-derived lymphocytes that produce cell-mediated immunity to fight cancer cells, viruses, and intracellular parasites.

Antigen (Ag)

Any foreign substance or molecule entering the body—such as toxins, pollen, or foreign organisms—that stimulates an immune response.

Antibody (Ab)

A protein substance produced by the body in response to an antigen, also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig).

IgG (gamma globulin)

The most abundant immunoglobulin in the blood; it crosses the placenta to protect the fetus and increases during chronic infection.

IgM

An immunoglobulin produced on initial exposure to an antigen that increases during acute infection.

IgA

An immunoglobulin protecting mucosal surfaces and body openings, commonly found in secretions and breast milk.

IgE

The immunoglobulin responsible for immediate-type allergic reactions.

Kupffer cells

Specialized macrophages found in the liver sinusoids.

Dust cells

Specialized macrophages found in the lungs.

Acquired (Adaptive) immunity

Learned immunity that is either naturally acquired through life exposure or artificially acquired through vaccinations or ready-made antibody injections.