Sensory Organs System MCC Vett 1020

sensation

any stimuli or change the body is aware of

perception

conscious awareness and interpretation of a sensation

sensory organs

extensions of the central nervous system; stimulus generates nerve impulses to brain which interprets sensation

general senses

sense overall body conditions; visceral, touch, temperature, pain, proprioception

visceral sense

sense of internal body sensations; hunger and thirst

touch sense

sense of feeling; an awareness of something touching the body

temperature sense

sense of heat and cold inside and out

pain sense

sense of physical irritation that alerts nervous system of potentially harmful stimuli

proprioception sense

sense of body position; keeps the body in an upright position

special senses

specific sensory organs and structures located in the head; gustatory, olfactory, auditory, equilibrium, vision

gustatory sense

taste buds located in the mouth; cats more sensitive than dogs

olfactory sense

sense for smelling odor with receptors located high in both nasal passages; stronger in animals than humans

auditory sense

sense for hearing sound with receptors located in ear

equilibrium

sense for balance with receptors located in portions of the inner ear that helps animals maintain balance by keeping track of position and movement of the head

vision sense

sense for sight with receptors located in the retina of the eyes

ophthalmology

study of the eyes; most ocular structures exist to help form images not detect them

ocular/ophthalm

term and prefix that are used in reference to the eyes

canthus

site where the eyelids come together

nictitans

third" eyelid located in the medial canthus of the eye; usually not noticeable unless prolapsed

conjunctiva

mucous membrane associated with the eye

palpebral conjunctiva

inner lining of the eyes; eye lids

bulbar conjunctiva

outer lining of the eye; eye ball

lacrimal glands

create tears to lubricate the eyeball

nasolacrimal ducts

connects with the nasal cavity that functions as a drainage system for tears

meibomian glands

located at the eyelid margins and produce a waxy substance that helps prevent tears from overflowing onto an animal's face

eye muscles

skeletal muscles that attach to the sclera of the eye that hold the eye in place as well as allow it to move

outer fibrous layer

contains structures that admit light to the interior of the eye and give strength and shape the eyeball; cornea and sclera

cornea

clear outer layer of the eye where light comes through

sclera

whites of the eye that light cannot come through; covered by a thin layer of conjunctiva

middle vascular layer

the uvea; where major blood and nerve supply to the eye is located; iris, pupil, lens, ciliary, choroid

iris

sphincter muscle that regulates light coming into the eye

pupil

opening to the iris that constricts to limit light entering the eye or dilate to allow more light to enter eye

lens

located posterior to the pupil; that bends light rays to focus them on inner layer of eye

ciliary

tiny muscles located immediately behind the iris; helps change the shape of the lens to allow both close up and distant vision

choroid

located between the sclera and retina and provides blood flow to the retina

inner nervous layer

aka retina; lines the back of the eye and contains two sensory photoreceptors that generate nerve impulses for vision; where the actual visual image is formed

cornea, aqueous humor, lens, vitreous humor

4 structures in the eye that help form a clear image in the retina

dichromatic vision

ability to see blue, yellow and purple but not red; dogs, cats, horses, cattle. birds can see red as well

cones

receptors that see color; works best in light rather than dark conditions

rods

receptors that see mainly gray, black and white; allows dim light vision. nocturnal animals have more of these than cones

aqueous compartment

aqueous humor filled compartment located in front of the lens and ciliary body

anterior chamber

portion of aqueous compartment located in front of the iris

posterior chamber

portion of aqueous compartment located behind the iris

cells of ciliary body

produce aqueous humor

canal of schlemm

drains away aqueous humor

vitreous compartment

vitreous humor filled compartment located behind the lens and ciliary body

aural

refers to ears

hearing

mechanical sense that converts vibrations of air molecules into nerve impulses that are interpreted by the brain as sound

external ear

funnel for sound wave vibration

pinna

ear flap; part of external ear

external ear canal

right angle canal that leads to and protects the ear drum; part of external ear

ceruminous glands

type of sweat gland located in external ear canal that produces waxy substance called cerumen

tympanic membrane

ear drum; part of external ear

middle ear

sound wave transmitter

tympanic bulla

thin bone in skull that surrounds and protects middle and inner ear

auditory bones

aka ossicles; 3 small bones that link the tympanic membrane with the cochlea of the inner ear and transmit sound wave vibrations

hammer/malleus, anvil/incus, stirrup/stapes

three auditory bones

eustachian tube

aka auditory tube; connects the middle ear to the pharynx and function is to equalize air pressure inside the ear drum

inner ear

sensory reception for hearing and equilibrium

cochlea

site where mechanical noises are changed into electrical impulses that go to the brain; part of inner ear

vestibule

located between the cochlea and the semi-circular canals and generates nerve impulses to the brain via movement of the head; part of inner ear

semi-circular canals

site of sensory receptors for balance located on the other side of the vestibule from the cochlea; part of inner ear

heatstroke

significantly elevated body temperature; can result from prolonged exposure to high environmental temperatures

esthesiology

the study of the sensory system

anesthesia

the loss of esthesia, or the complete loss of sensation

general anesthesia

complete loss of sensory perception accompanied by loss of consciousness

local anesthesia

loss of sensation from a specific, localized area without affecting consciousness

analgesia

state in which the perception of pain is decreased but not completely absent

windup

the exaggerated pain response caused by the neurons of the spinal cord being bombarded with painful stimuli during surgery; can be prevented with analgesic or local anesthetic drugs

ear hematoma

abnormal accumulation of free blood in the pinna; can cause cauliflower ear

glaucoma

characterized by increased intraocular pressure that causes pain and can lead to blindness; most often caused by insufficient drainage of aqueous humor rather than over production

cataract

abnormal condition of the eye where the lens becomes opaque