CH16: Sense Organs

transduction

-property of receptors

-convert stimulus energy into nerve signals

modality

-property of receptors

-type of stimulus produced

location

-property of receptors

-where stimulus is located; receptive field

intensity

-property of receptors

-strength of stimulus

duration

-property of stimulus

-how long stimulus lasts

exteroceptors

-sense stimuli external to body

-includes receptors for vision, hearing, taste, smell, and cutaneous sensations such as touch, heat, cold and pain

interoceptors

-detect internal stimuli

-stomach, intestines, bladder

-stretch, pressure, visceral pain, nausea

proprioceptors

-sense body position and movements

-in muscles, tendons, and joint capsules

thermoreceptors

-classification of receptors

-respond to heat and cold

photoreceptors

-classification of receptors

-the eyes, respond to light

nociceptors

-classification of receptors

-respond to tissue injury, situations threatening damage

-activation produces sensation of pain

chemoreceptors

-classification of receptors

-respond to chemicals

-odors, tastes, body fluid composition

mechanorecptors

-respond to physical deformation

-vibration, touch, pressure, stretch, tension

-includes organs of hearing and balance

general (somatosensory, somesthetic) senses

-in skin, muscles, tendons, joints, viscera

-touch, pressure, stretch, heat, cold, pain, blood pressure, blood composition

special senses

-limited to heat, innervated by cranial nerves, and involve complex sense organs

-includes structures specialized for vision, hearing, equilibrium, taste and smell