Human Sensory Systems

Flashcards covering terminology and concepts related to the human sensory systems.

Suspensory ligaments

Strong fibres which hold the eye lens in its position.

Ciliary muscle

Muscle that changes the thickness of the eye lens through contractions and relaxations.

Eye lens

Transparent and elastic convex lens which focuses light onto the retina.

Sclera

Strong layer that maintains the shape of the eye and protects it.

Choroid

Black layer that prevents reflection of light in the eye and supplies oxygen and nutrients.

Retina

Layer containing photoreceptors which detect light and produce nerve impulses.

Cornea

Transparent layer which refracts and focuses light onto the retina.

Yellow spot

Part of the retina which is most sensitive to light due to its many photoreceptors.

Iris

The coloured part of the eye which controls the size of the pupil.

Pupil

Opening in the centre of the iris which controls the quantity of light entering the eye.

Aqueous humour

Transparent fluid that maintains the shape of the eyeball and focuses light into the eye.

Conjunctiva

Transparent membrane which protects the front part of the sclera.

Vitreous humour

Transparent jelly-like substance that maintains the shape of the eyeball and focuses light onto the retina.

Blind spot

Part of the retina which is not sensitive to light and is the exit point for optic nerve fibres.

Rod cells

Photoreceptors sensitive to different light intensities, including faint light.

Cone cells

Photoreceptors that detect colors of light, sensitive under bright conditions.

Earlobe

Part of the outer ear that collects and directs sound waves.

Ear canal

Channels sound waves to the eardrum.

Eardrum

Vibrates according to the frequency of sound waves and transfers vibrations to the ossicles.

Ossicles

Small bones in the middle ear that amplify sound vibrations.

Cochlea

Inner ear structure that detects and converts sound vibrations into nerve impulses.

Taste receptors

Cells on the tongue responsible for detecting different taste sensations.

Papillae

Tiny nodules on the tongue that contain taste buds.

Umami

A basic taste related to savory flavor, detected by specific taste receptors.

Epidermis

Outer layer of the skin.

Dermis

Inner layer of the skin that contains various receptors.

Nerve impulses

Signals sent through the nervous system to the brain for interpretation.