Sensory Systems: Cardio

Flashcards covering the key vocabulary and concepts related to the sensory systems discussed in the cardio lecture.

Taste Buds

Specialized cells that detect taste sensations located primarily on the tongue.

Olfactory Bulbs

Structures in the brain that process smell information received from the nasal passage.

External Ear

Part of the ear that acts like a funnel for sound, transmitting sound waves through air.

Tympanic Membrane

Also known as the eardrum, it separates the external ear from the middle ear and vibrates in response to sound.

Auditory Ossicles

Three tiny bones in the middle ear (malleus, incus, stapes) that transmit and amplify sound vibrations.

Eustachian Tube

Tube that connects the middle ear to the pharynx, helping to equalize air pressure in the middle ear.

Cochlea

A spiral-shaped structure in the inner ear responsible for converting sound waves into nerve impulses.

Semicircular Canals

Three fluid-filled tubes in the inner ear that help with balance and detecting head movement.

Vomeronasal Organ

A sensory structure in the nasal passage that detects specific odors, often related to social and reproductive behaviors.

Nystagmus

Involuntary rapid eye movements that can indicate normal physiological patterns or pathological conditions.

Balance

The ability to maintain equilibrium, which is detected by the inner ear's semicircular canals.

Outer ear

The visible part of the ear, consisting of the pinna and the ear canal leading to the tympanic membrane.

Fibrinogen

A soluble plasma protein that gets converted to fibrin during blood clotting.

Erythrocytes

Red blood cells that transport oxygen throughout the body.

Leukocytes

White blood cells involved in immune response; includes granulocytes and agranulocytes.

Hydrocephalus

A condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain cavities.

Auditory Cortex

Region of the brain that processes auditory information.

Pericardium

A double-walled sac surrounding the heart.