Module  7.5 - The Special Senses  

Our bodies have an amazing amount and variety of sensory receptors that can be found in and on virtually every part of body. The majority of these receptors contribute to what we call "our senses". If there are more than five sensory receptors than there must be more than five senses, right? That's for you to decide! Take a look at the warm-up and contribute your thoughts to make sense of this perspective. 

Module 7.5 Warm-Up 

Directions: Take a look at link provided below and respond to following prompt: 

More than five senses? 

- (Make sure you have read the module overview above). Make an argument for one of the following three stances on senses: 1) We have the classic five senses and all sensory receptors can be grouped into these general categories. 2) We have many more than five senses and they can be sorted out based on sensory receptor category. OR 3) You are somewhere in between these two outlooks (or you believe its something entirely different!) 

- Provide an explanation to your reasoning, using the information we have learned thus far in class and from this article.

- Any general additional thoughts or opinions on the matter. (keep in mind that the classic five sense model was originally proposed by Aristotle...)

Essential Vocab: 

Eyes and Vision: Sensory receptors, eye, accessory structures, eyebrows, eyelids, palpebrae, palpebral fissure, medial/lateral commissures, lacrimal caruncle, tarsal plates, eyelashes, tarsal glands, conjunctiva, palpebral conjunctiva, bulbar conjunctiva, lacrimal apparatus, lacrimal gland, lacrimal secretion, tears, lacrimal puncta, lacrimal sac, nasolacrimal duct, lysozyme, eyeball, anterior pole, posterior pole, fibrous layer, sclera, cornea, vascular layer, choroid, ciliary body, iris, pupil, retina, pigmented layer, neural layer, ora serrata, photorecpetors, bipolar cells, ganglion cells, optic disc, fundus, blind spot, cones, macula lutea, fovea centralis, central artery central vein, vitreous humor, anterior segment, anterior chamber, scleral venous sinus, glaucoma, lens, lens epithelium, lens fibers, cyrstallins

Chemical Senses-  Taste and Smell: chemoreceptors, olfactory epithelium, olfactory receptor cells, supporting cells, basal cells, olfactory cilia, olfactory bulbs, mitral cells, glomeruli, olfactory tracts, papillae, fungiform papillae, foliate papillae, circumvallate, vallate papillae, gustatory cells, gustatory cells, taste pore, basal cells, facial nerves,

The Ear- Hearing and balance: external ear, auricle, pinna, helix, external acoustic meatus, ceruminous glands, cerumen, tympanic membrane, eardrum, middle ear, tympanic cavity, oval window, epitympanic recess, mastoid antrum, pharyngotympanic tube, auditory ossicles, malleus, incus, stapes, tensor tympani, stapedius, internal ear, labyrinth, perilymph, endolymph, vestibule, saccule, utricle, semicircular canals, ampulla, cochlea, modiolus, cochlear duct, osseous spiral lamina, scala media, scala tympani, heliptrema, vestibular membrane, basilar membrane, 

Module Objectives: 

  1. The Eye and Vision

       1.  Describe the structure and function of accessory eye structures, eye layers, the lens, and humors of the eye.

       2.  Outline the causes and consequences of cataracts and glaucoma.

       3.  Trace the pathway of light through the eye to the retina, and explain how light is focused for distant and close vision.

       4.  Outline the causes and consequences of astigmatism, myopia, hyperopia, and presbyopia.

       5.  Describe the events involved in the stimulation of photoreceptors by light, and compare and contrast the roles of rods and cones in vision.

       6.  Compare and contrast light and dark adaptation.

       7.  Trace the visual pathway to the visual cortex, and briefly describe the steps in visual processing.

    The Chemical Senses: Taste and Smell

       8.  Describe the location, structure, and afferent pathways of taste and smell receptors, and explain how these receptors are activated.

    The Ear: Hearing and Balance

       9.  Describe the structure and general function of the outer, middle, and internal ears.

    10.  Describe the sound conduction pathway to the fluids of the internal ear, and follow the auditory pathway from the spiral organ (of Corti) to the temporal cortex.

    11.  Explain how one is able to differentiate pitch and loudness, and localize the source of sounds.

    12.  List possible causes and symptoms of otitis media, deafness, and Ménière’s syndrome     13.          Explain how the balance organs of the semicircular canal