Senses

  1. Distinguish between general and special senses

    1. General senses: distributed through the body and have receptor cells within structures of other organs. They are associated with touch, pain, temperature, vibration, and proprioception.

    2. Special senses: Vision, sound, equilibrium, smell, and taste. They have specialized organs which detect and process stimuli.

  2. Match each sensory receptor to the type of stimulus to which it is likely to respond

    1. Chemoreceptor A. approaching  headlights

    2. Pain receptor B. a change in blood pressure

    3. Thermoreceptor  C. the smell of roses

    4. Mechanoreceptor  D. an infected tooth

    5. Photoreceptor   E. a cool breeze

  3. List the five general types of sensory receptors

    1. Mechanoreceptors

    2. Thermoreceptors

    3. Nociceptors

    4. Photoreceptors

    5. Chemoreceptors

  4. What do all types of receptors have in common?

    1. They convert stimuli into nerve impulses

  5. You fill up the tub to take a hot bath, but the water is too hot. You test it a second and third time within a few seconds, and it feels okay. Which of the following is the most likely explanation?

    1. The water has cooled down unusually quick

    2. Your ability to sense head has adapted

    3. Your nervous system is suddenly not functioning properly

    4. The initial heat deformed your thermoreceptors

    5. None of the above

  6. What is sensory adaptation?

    1. the natural reduction in sensitivity to a stimulus after constant, unchanging exposure

  7. Describe three types of touch and pressure receptors

    1. Merkel Cells - responsible for light touch and sustained pressure

    2. Meissner’s Corpuscels - responsible for light touch, flutters, and vibrations

    3. Pacinian corpuscles - responsible for deep pressure and fast vibration

  8. Describe thermoreceptors

    1. thermoreceptors are receptors that detect stimulus regarding temperature and temperature change

  9. Describe a muscle spindle

    1. A muscle spindle proprioceptors located within skeletal muscles that detect changes in muscle length and the velocity of stretch

  10. Explain how muscle spindles help maintain posture

    1. Muscle spindles help maintain posture by triggering a stretch reflex which cause muscles to contract

  11. Where are Golgi tendon organs located?

    1. Musculotendinous junction

  12. What is the function of Golgi tendon organs?

    1. monitor muscle tension or force, protecting muscles from excessive strain

  13. Where are the olfactory receptors located?

    1. Olfactory receptors are located in the upper part of the nasal cavity

  14. Trace the pathway of an olfactory impulse from a receptor to the cerebrum

    1. begins when odorant molecules bind to receptors on bipolar olfactory neurons in the nasal mucosa. These neurons send signals through the cribriform plate via the olfactory nerve (CN I) to synapse in the olfactory bulb then travel along the olfactory tract directly to the primary olfactory cortex in the cerebrum

  15. Explain how the senses of smell and taste function together to create the perception of the flavors in food?

    1. combining chemical signals from the mouth and nose to create sensation

  16. Which two of the following are part of the olfactory organs?

    1. Olfactory receptors

    2. Columnar epithelial cells in the nasal mucosa

    3. The brain

    4. The mouth

    5. The nose

  17. Why is saliva necessary to taste?

    1. it dissolves the food molecules which allow for it to be sent to the taste receptors in the tounge

  18. Name the five primary taste receptors

    1. sweet

    2. sour

    3. salty

    4. bitter

    5. umami (savory)

  19. What characteristic of taste receptors helps maintain a sense of taste with age?

    1. continuous regeneration of taste buds

  20. Trace a sensory impulse from a taste receptor to the cerebral cortex

    1. receptors convert chemical signals to electrical signals which release neurotransmitters

    2. electrical signals are carried to the brain via cranial nerves

    3. Travel to the brainstem

    4. travels to thalamus

    5. Reaches cerebral cortex

  21. Describe the outer, middle, and inner ears

    1. Outer: part of the ear that we can see, collects sound waves and directs them to the eardrum

    2. Middle: chamber in the temporal bone, between the part we can see and eardrum, transmits from the eardrum to inner ear

    3. Inner ear: Part of the ear inside the skull responsible for hearing and balance

  22. Match the ear area with the associated structure

    1. Outer ear A. eardrum

    2. Middle ear B. auditory ossicles

    3. Inner ear C. cochlea

  23. Explain how sound waves are transmitted through parts of the ear

    1. by transforming acoustic energy into mechanical vibrations and finally into electrical signals for the brain

  24. Describe the tympanic reflex

    1. an involuntary muscle contraction in the middle ear—specifically the stapedius muscle—that occurs in response to high-intensity sounds (>70–100 dB).

  25. Distinguish between the osseous and membranous labyrinths

    1. osseous labyrinth is the outer, rigid, petrous temporal bone cavity, containing perilymph and housing the inner, delicate membranous labyrinth

  26. Explain the function of the spiral organ

    1. converting sound into nerve impulsess

  27. The function of the auditory tube is to____.

    1. Equalize air pressure on both sides of the eardrum

    2. Transmit sound vibrations to the eardrum

    3. Contain the hearing receptors

    4. Contain the auditory ossicles

    5. Secrete cerumen

  28. Which of the following best describes the hearing receptor “hair cells”?

    1. They are neurons

    2. They lack ion channels

    3. They are epithelial, but function like neurons

    4. They are made of keratin

    5. They are attached to the tympanic membrane

  29. Distinguish between the senses of static and dynamic equilibrium

    1. Static equilibrium describes a system at rest where all forces are balanced, resulting in zero velocity and acceleration. Dynamic equilibrium represents a constant state where, despite ongoing, opposing, and equal processes, there is no net change

  30. Which structures provide the sense of static equilibrium? of dynamic equilibrium?

    1. Static equilibrium: maculae, utricule, saccule

    2. Dynamic equilibrium: crista ampullaris in the ampullae of the semicircular canals

  31. How does sensory information from other receptors help maintain equilibrium?

    1. Through the integration of other information such as visual information

  32. Explain how the eyelid is moved

    1. It is controlled by two main muscles, one that controls the upper eyelid and the other that controls the lower eyelid

  33. Describe the conjunctiva

    1. The conjunctiva is a membrane that covers the eye and lines the inside of the eyelid

  34.  Name the layers of the eye wall and describe the functions of each layer

    1. Outer

      1. Sclera - protective structure

      2. Cornea - Allows light to enter and focuses the light into the eye

      3. Conjuctiva - covers the eye and lines the inside of the eyelid

    2. Middle

      1. Iris - controls the size of the pupil, which controls the amount of light that enters the eye

      2. Ciliary Body - controls eye shape

      3. Choroid - provides nutrients prevents the scattering light within the eye

    3. Inner Layer

      1. Retina - Where photoreceptors are

      2. Optic Disk - the blind spot because it lacks photoreceptor cells, meaning there is no image detection at this location.

  35. The following are compartments in the eye. In which one is the vitreous humor found

    1.  Anterior chamber

    2.  Posterior chamber

    3. Anterior cavity

    4. Posterior cavity

    5. Lens

  1. What is the function of the lacrimal apparatus?

    1. produce, distribute, and drain tears, maintaining ocular health

  2. Describe the function of each extrinsic eye muscle

    1. to manage the fine movements of the eye

  3. Describe the outer and middle tunics of the eye

    1. Fibrous tunic: sclera, cornea, conjuctiva, maintains eye shape

    2. choroid, ciliary body, iris: blood vessels and melanin

  4. What factors contribute to the transparency of the cornea?

    1. Stroma, endothelium, epithelium, tear film, metabolism, proteoglycans

  5. How does the shape of the lens change during accommodation?

    1. ciliary muscle contracts, the elastic lens becomes more spherical

  6. Why would reading for a long time lead to “eye fatigue”, whereas looking at something distant is restful?

    1. It allows for the muscles to fully relax which allows the lens to focus without effort

  7. Explain the origin of aqueous humor and trace its path through the eye

    1. produced by the ciliary body, moves to anterior chamber and flows through it, drains and exits

  8. How is the size of the pupil regulated

    1. it is regulated by the contraction and extension of two muscles which allow it to dilate and contract

  9. Describe the structure of the retina

    1. The retina is a thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye, containing photoreceptors (rods and cones) that convert light into neural signals, linking to the brain via the optic nerve.

  10. What is refraction?

    1. bending of light to focus it on the retina

  11. What parts of the eye provide refracting surfaces?

    1. the main part is the cornea as well as the crystalline lens, pupil, iris, and virtuous humor

  12. Why is it necessary to accommodate for viewing close objects?

    1. The closer it is the eye, the more it allows for the eye to refract the light into the retina

  13. Distinguish between rods and cones of the retina

    1. Rods: perceive black and white

    2. Cones: distinguish color

  14. Explain why rod vision may be more important under dim light conditions

    1. Because they are more sensitive to light

  15. Explain the roles of visual pigments

    1. initiate vision by converting light energy into electrical signals

  16. What factors make stereoscopic vision possible?

    1. Having two forward facing eyes, called binocular display, where differences in the images projected onto the retinas of each eye are processed by the brain to determine depth.

  17. Trace the pathway of visual impulses from the retina to the occipital cortex

    1. retina to the occipital cortex via the optic nerve, optic chiasm, and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)

  18. Explain the basics of fading senses of smell and taste with aging

    1. As people age, smell and taste often weaken due to fewer sensory receptors, slower nerve signals, and sometimes medications or health conditions, making food seem less flavorful.

  19. List three causes of hearing loss associated with aging

    1. Presbycusis – gradual loss of high-pitched sounds from inner ear aging, Earwax buildup – hardened wax can block sound, Noise damage – long-term exposure harms inner ear hair cells.

  20. Explain five problems that can interfere with vision as a person

    1. Presbyopia – difficulty focusing on close objects.

    2. Cataracts – cloudy lens causing blurry vision.

    3. Glaucoma – eye pressure damages the optic nerve.

    4. Macular degeneration – loss of central vision.

    5. Dry eyes – reduced tears cause irritation and blurry vision.