Chapter 14: The Somatic Nervous System

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions associated with the somatic nervous system and its related sensory modalities.

Somatic Nervous System

The part of the nervous system that allows voluntary control of muscle movements and processes sensory information from special sense organs.

Gustation

The sense of taste, associated with the tongue, responsive to chemical stimuli.

Taste Buds

Specialized structures on the tongue that contain gustatory receptor cells which detect taste.

Olfaction

The sense of smell, responsive to chemical stimuli from airborne odorants.

Audition

The sense of hearing, involving the transduction of sound waves into neural signals.

Cochlea

The spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear that is responsible for hearing.

Vestibule

Part of the inner ear that is responsible for balance and equilibrium.

Equilibrium

The sense of balance, associated with head position and movement.

Rod Cells

Photoreceptor cells in the retina that are sensitive to low light and allow vision in grayscale.

Cone Cells

Photoreceptor cells in the retina that detect color and are sensitive to different wavelengths of light.

Aqueous Humor

The clear fluid filling the anterior chamber of the eye, providing nutrients and maintaining intraocular pressure.

Vitreous Humor

The gel-like substance filling the posterior cavity of the eye, helping to maintain its shape and position of the retina.

Neural Tunic

The innermost layer of the eye, also known as the retina, which contains photoreceptors.

Accommodation

The process by which the eye adjusts the lens shape to focus light on the retina.

Optic Chiasma

The point in the brain where optic nerve fibers from each eye cross over to the opposite side of the brain.