Senses

Sensation

Our conscious awareness of incoming sensory information.

External Ear

The part of the ear that consists of the auricle and external auditory canal.

Middle Ear

Contains the tympanic membrane, auditory ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes), and the auditory tube.

Cochlea

The inner ear structure that converts sound waves into action potentials.

Vestibular Apparatus

Contains organs of equilibrium, including the vestibule and semicircular canals.

Hair Cells

Sensory cells in the inner ear that detect sound and head position.

Otic Membrane

A gelatinous mass in the vestibule that contains otoliths and aids in detecting head movement.

Astigmatism

A refractive error caused by an irregularly shaped cornea leading to multiple focal points.

Hyperopia

Farsightedness; distant objects are clear while close objects appear blurry.

Myopia

Nearsightedness; close objects are clear while distant objects appear blurry.

Dark Adaptation

The process through which the eyes adjust to low light conditions, taking up to 20 minutes.

Rods

Photoreceptors in the retina responsible for black and white vision, especially in dim light.

Cones

Photoreceptors in the retina that detect color and are concentrated in the fovea centralis.

Optic Nerve

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

Cochlear Implants

Devices that provide a sense of sound to individuals who are profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing.

Motion Sickness

A conflict in sensory signals causing dizziness, nausea, and discomfort, often due to discrepancies between visual inputs and inner ear signals.

Phototransduction

The process where light is converted into nerve impulses in photoreceptors.

Accommodation

The ability of the lens to change shape to focus on near or far objects.

Auditory Ossicles

The three tiny bones in the middle ear (malleus, incus, stapes) that transmit sound vibrations.

Glaucoma

A condition characterized by increased pressure in the anterior chamber of the eye, which can lead to blindness if untreated.

Retinal Detachment

A condition where the retina separates from the underlying tissue, potentially resulting in vision loss.

Photopigment

Molecules in photoreceptors that absorb light and trigger visual signals.