SIW - Module Overview

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IntroductionThe five senses are taste, sight, hearing, smell, and feel.

In the previous module, we learned how the nervous system helped us to interpret the world around us. The sensory system is an offshoot of the nervous system that specializes in receiving signals from external and internal stimuli and sending this information to the brain for processing. We are being bombarded with senses at every moment in our life. This module will take an in-depth look at this special part of the nervous system. It will cover the anatomy and physiology behind 6 senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, and balance.

Essential Questions

  • What are the six main senses for humans?
  • What are the location, structure, and function of the somatosensory receptors?
  • How are gustation and olfaction similar?
  • What are the location, structure, and function of the olfactory and taste receptors?
  • What are the four basic taste sensations?
  • What is the pathway of light through the eye to the retina?
  • How are the rod and cone different?
  • What is the pathway of sound through the ear?
  • How do the equilibrium organs help to maintain homeostasis?
  • What are the causes of common diseases and disorders of the sensory organs?
  • How are disorders of the sensory organs treated?

Key Terms

  1. Chemoreceptor: A receptor that detects certain chemical signals in the environment
  2. Gustation: Taste
  3. Hyperopia: Far-sightedness
  4. Mechanoreceptor: A type of sensory receptor that receives and responds to changes in mechanical stimuli
  5. Myopia: Near-sightedness
  6. Nociceptor: A type of sensory receptor that detects pain
  7. Odorant: General name for a chemical smell stimulus
  8. Olfaction: Smell
  9. Photopigments: Pigments that undergo chemical change when they absorb light
  10. Photoreceptor: A type of sensory receptor that receives and responds to changes in light
  11. Presbyopia: Far-sightedness that occurs with aging due to loss of flexibility in the lens of the eye
  12. Proprioceptor: A type of sensory receptor that receives stimuli from within the body; usually related to position and movement
  13. Refraction: The bending of light as it passes through a medium
  14. Senses: A perceived stimulus that provides information about the body and its environment
  15. Sensory Perception: An individual's interpretation of a sensation
  16. Somatosensation: The perception of stimuli such as pressure, vibration, light touch, tickle, itch, temperature, pain, and proprioception
  17. Tastant: The general name for a chemical taste stimulus
  18. Thermoreceptors: A type of sensory receptor that receives changes in temperature
  19. Tranduction: A translation of a sensory signal into an electrochemical signal in the nervous system
  20. Umami: The taste of savoriness

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