Anatomy and Physiology: Chapter 13 - Special Senses Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the anatomy and physiology of the eye and ear, including vision processes, sound transduction, and equilibrium.

Cornea

A structure that provides constant light refraction and covers the iris and pupil.

Aqueous Humor

The anterior humor that helps support the eyeball internally.

Vitreous Humor

The posterior humor that helps support the eyeball internally.

Sphincter Pupillae

The smooth muscle in the iris that runs circularly and decreases pupil size when activated by the parasympathetic division.

Sclera

The white layer of the eye that provides protection and anchors extrinsic eye muscles.

Conjunctiva

The membrane that covers the sclera.

Neural layer

The inner layer of the retina that contains the photoreceptors.

Rods

Photoreceptors that provide grayscale vision and operate in low light with low visual acuity (grainy images).

Cones

Photoreceptors that provide color vision and high visual acuity (clear images) in bright light.

Optic disc

The blind spot on the eye where there is a lack of photoreceptors.

Fovea centralis

The part of the retina with the highest visual acuity because it only contains cones.

Choroid

An eye layer rich in blood vasculature and melanin pigments used to absorb light.

Lateral rectus muscle

An extrinsic eye muscle that mainly moves the eye laterally.

Superior rectus muscle

An extrinsic eye muscle that mainly moves the eye superiorly.

Cranial Nerves III, IV, and VI

The Oculomotor, Trochlear, and Abducens nerves which innervate the external eye muscles.

Lens

A convex structure that provides variable refraction and reverses images top to bottom and left to right.

Ciliary muscles

Muscles that change the shape of the lens by contracting (bulging the lens for short distance) or relaxing (flattening the lens for long distance).

Lens Accommodation

An increase in the thickness of the lens to focus on objects up close.

Eye convergence

One of the three actions the eye takes to read a book up close, alongside lens accommodation and pupil constriction.

Optic chiasma

The location where optic nerve fibers cross as they map the visual signal to the visual cortex.

Semicircular Canals

Ear structures that detect changes in head position with respect to gravity and rotational acceleration.

Cochlea

The specific structure of the ear that allows for hearing.

Otoliths

Structures described as rocks in the ears located within the Vestibule.

Tympanic membrane

The boundary between the outer and middle ear that vibrates when sound waves hit it.

Ossicles

A group consisting of the malleus, incus, and stapes that vibrate to transmit sound to the oval window.

Sound transduction

The process of converting sound waves into equivalent action potentials that the brain can process.

Round window

A structure that acts as a release pressure valve from the stapes pushing on the oval window.

Endolymph

The fluid in the canals that lags and moves in the opposite direction when a person starts spinning.