ANS, General Senses, Gustation, Olfaction

Flashcards covering the autonomic nervous system, general senses, gustation, and olfaction.

Sympathetic division

Part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the fight or flight response, increasing alertness, pulse, and blood pressure.

Parasympathetic division

Part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the rest and digest functions, promoting calming, digestion, and waste elimination.

Nociceptor

A sensory receptor that responds to pain stimuli.

Thermoreceptor

A sensory receptor that responds to changes in temperature.

Mechanoreceptors

Sensory receptors that respond to mechanical pressure or distortion.

Tactile receptor

A type of mechanoreceptor responsible for the sense of touch.

Baroreceptor

A mechanoreceptor that detects changes in pressure, typically in blood vessels.

Proprioceptor

A type of mechanoreceptor that provides information about body position and movement.

Olfactory epithelium

A specialized epithelial tissue involved in the sense of smell, containing olfactory receptors.

Olfactory adaptation

The process by which sensory receptors become less sensitive to odor stimuli after prolonged exposure.

Taste buds

Sensory organs located in the papillae of the tongue responsible for the perception of taste.

Circumvallate papillae

Large papillae located at the back of the tongue that contain taste buds.

Fungiform papillae

Mushroom-shaped papillae found on the anterior part of the tongue that contain taste buds.

Filiform papillae

Thread-like papillae that do not contain taste buds, primarily providing texture sensation.

Foliate papillae

Folded papillae located on the lateral aspects of the tongue that contain taste buds.

Five basic tastes

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami; these are the primary categories of taste sensations.