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