BIOL 1410 Lecture 20: Special Senses |
Latest Version | 2024/2025 | 100% Pass
What are the five special senses in the human body?
✔✔ The five special senses are vision, hearing, taste, smell, and equilibrium.
How does the structure of the cornea contribute to its function in vision?
✔✔ The cornea is transparent and curved, allowing it to refract light effectively to help focus it
onto the retina.
What is the role of photoreceptors in the retina?
✔✔ Photoreceptors, including rods and cones, detect light and convert it into electrical signals
that are sent to the brain for visual processing.
What is the function of the auditory ossicles in the middle ear?
✔✔ The auditory ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes) transmit sound vibrations from the tympanic
membrane to the inner ear, amplifying the sound.
How does the cochlea contribute to hearing?
1
, ✔✔ The cochlea converts sound vibrations into nerve impulses through hair cells in the organ of
Corti, which are then transmitted to the brain via the auditory nerve.
What is the purpose of the Eustachian tube in the ear?
✔✔ The Eustachian tube equalizes air pressure between the middle ear and the atmosphere,
ensuring the tympanic membrane vibrates properly.
How do olfactory receptors function in the sense of smell?
✔✔ Olfactory receptors in the nasal cavity bind to odor molecules, generating nerve impulses
that are transmitted to the brain, where the smells are interpreted.
What role do taste buds play in the sense of taste?
✔✔ Taste buds contain gustatory cells that detect chemicals in food and beverages, sending
signals to the brain to identify taste sensations like sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami.
How does the structure of the semicircular canals contribute to the sense of equilibrium?
✔✔ The semicircular canals detect rotational movements of the head. Fluid inside the canals
moves when the head rotates, stimulating hair cells that send signals to the brain about balance.
2
Latest Version | 2024/2025 | 100% Pass
What are the five special senses in the human body?
✔✔ The five special senses are vision, hearing, taste, smell, and equilibrium.
How does the structure of the cornea contribute to its function in vision?
✔✔ The cornea is transparent and curved, allowing it to refract light effectively to help focus it
onto the retina.
What is the role of photoreceptors in the retina?
✔✔ Photoreceptors, including rods and cones, detect light and convert it into electrical signals
that are sent to the brain for visual processing.
What is the function of the auditory ossicles in the middle ear?
✔✔ The auditory ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes) transmit sound vibrations from the tympanic
membrane to the inner ear, amplifying the sound.
How does the cochlea contribute to hearing?
1
, ✔✔ The cochlea converts sound vibrations into nerve impulses through hair cells in the organ of
Corti, which are then transmitted to the brain via the auditory nerve.
What is the purpose of the Eustachian tube in the ear?
✔✔ The Eustachian tube equalizes air pressure between the middle ear and the atmosphere,
ensuring the tympanic membrane vibrates properly.
How do olfactory receptors function in the sense of smell?
✔✔ Olfactory receptors in the nasal cavity bind to odor molecules, generating nerve impulses
that are transmitted to the brain, where the smells are interpreted.
What role do taste buds play in the sense of taste?
✔✔ Taste buds contain gustatory cells that detect chemicals in food and beverages, sending
signals to the brain to identify taste sensations like sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami.
How does the structure of the semicircular canals contribute to the sense of equilibrium?
✔✔ The semicircular canals detect rotational movements of the head. Fluid inside the canals
moves when the head rotates, stimulating hair cells that send signals to the brain about balance.
2
