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Special Senses in Anatomy & Physiology

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  • What are the five special senses?

    Smell, taste, hearing, equilibrium, and sight.

  • What cells are involved in olfaction?

    Olfactory receptors, supporting cells, and olfactory organs.

  • What structures contain taste buds?

    Taste buds are found on the tongue and contain taste receptors for gustation.

  • Name the five taste sensations.

    Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.

  • What is the conjunctiva?

    A thin membrane that covers the front of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelids.

  • What is the function of the orbicularis oculi muscle?

    It controls eyelid closure, enabling blinking and squinting.

  • What does the levator palpebrae superioris muscle do?

    It raises the upper eyelid.

  • What is the role of the tarsal glands?

    They secrete an oily substance that lubricates the eyelids and prevents them from sticking together.

  • List the components of the lacrimal apparatus.

    Lacrimal gland, canaliculi, lacrimal sac, and nasolacrimal duct.

  • Name the seven eye muscles controlling eye movement.

    Superior rectus, inferior rectus, medial rectus, lateral rectus, superior oblique, inferior oblique, and levator palpebrae superioris.

  • What are the two parts of the outer (fibrous) tunic of the eye?

    Cornea and sclera.

  • What structures make up the middle (vascular) tunic?

    Choroid coat, ciliary body, and iris.

  • What is the retina and its key regions?

    The inner (nervous) tunic containing the macula lutea, fovea centralis, and optic disc.

  • What fluids fill the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye?

    Aqueous humor fills the anterior chamber; vitreous humor fills the posterior chamber.

  • What is the function of the lens?

    It focuses light onto the retina.

  • What controls the size of the pupil?

    The iris adjusts pupil size to regulate light entering the eye.

  • What are cones and rods?

    Photoreceptor cells in the retina; cones detect color, rods detect light intensity.

  • What are the main parts of the outer ear?

    Auricle, external acoustic meatus, and tympanic membrane.

  • Name the auditory ossicles in the middle ear.

    Malleus, incus, and stapes.

  • What is the function of the oval and round windows?

    The oval window transmits vibrations to the inner ear; the round window allows fluid movement within the cochlea.

  • What is the auditory tube's role?

    It equalizes pressure between the middle ear and the throat.

  • What are the main components of the inner ear?

    Osseous and membranous labyrinths, semicircular canals, vestibule, cochlea.

  • What structures in the vestibule detect static equilibrium?

    Utricle and saccule with macula sensory receptors.

  • What is the difference between static and dynamic equilibrium?

    Static equilibrium detects head position at rest; dynamic equilibrium detects motion and acceleration.

  • What are the scala vestibuli, scala tympani, and cochlear duct?

    Three fluid-filled chambers within the cochlea involved in hearing.

  • What is the spiral organ (organ of Corti)?

    The sensory organ in the cochlea containing hair cells that detect sound vibrations.

  • What are hair cells and stereocilia?

    Specialized sensory cells with stereocilia that convert mechanical sound waves into nerve signals.