7.4.7: Key Terms

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audition: sense of hearing

auricle: cartilaginous outer ear

basilar membrane: stiff structure in the cochlea that indirectly anchors auditory receptors

bipolar neuron: neuron with two processes from the cell body, typically in opposite directions

candela: (cd) unit of measurement of luminous intensity (brightness)

circadian: describes a time cycle about one day in length

cochlea: whorled structure that contains receptors for transduction of the mechanical wave into an electrical signal

cone: weakly photosensitive, chromatic, cone-shaped neuron in the fovea of the retina that detects bright light and is used in daytime color vision

cornea: transparent layer over the front of the eye that helps focus light waves

fovea: region in the center of the retina with a high density of photoreceptors and which is responsible for acute vision

free nerve ending: ending of an afferent neuron that lacks a specialized structure for detection of sensory stimuli; some respond to touch, pain, or temperature

glabrous: describes the non-hairy skin found on palms and fingers, soles of feet, and lips of humans and other primates

glomerulus: in the olfactory bulb, one of the two neural clusters that receives signals from one type of olfactory receptor

Golgi tendon organ: muscular proprioceptive tension receptor that provides the sensory component of the Golgi tendon reflex

gustation: sense of taste

hyperopia: (also, farsightedness) visual defect in which the image focus falls behind the retina, thereby making images in the distance clear, but close-up images blurry

incus: (also, anvil) second of the three bones of the middle ear

inner ear: innermost part of the ear; consists of the cochlea and the vestibular system

iris: pigmented, circular muscle at the front of the eye that regulates the amount of light entering the eye

kinesthesia: sense of body movement

labyrinth: bony, hollow structure that is the most internal part of the ear; contains the sites of transduction of auditory and vestibular information

lens: transparent, convex structure behind the cornea that helps focus light waves on the retina

malleus: (also, hammer) first of the three bones of the middle ear

mechanoreceptor: sensory receptor modified to respond to mechanical disturbance such as being bent, touch, pressure, motion, and sound

Meissner’s corpuscle: (also, tactile corpuscle) encapsulated, rapidly-adapting mechanoreceptor in the skin that responds to light touch

Merkel's disk: unencapsulated, slowly-adapting mechanoreceptor in the skin that responds to touch

middle ear: part of the hearing apparatus that functions to transfer energy from the tympanum to the oval window of the inner ear

muscle spindle: proprioceptive stretch receptor that lies within a muscle and that shortens the muscle to an optimal length for efficient contraction

myopia: (also, nearsightedness) visual defect in which the image focus falls in front of the retina, thereby making images in the distance blurry, but close-up images clear

nociception: neural processing of noxious (such as damaging) stimuli

odorant: airborne molecule that stimulates an olfactory receptor

olfaction: sense of smell

olfactory bulb: neural structure in the vertebrate brain that receives signals from olfactory receptors

olfactory epithelium: specialized tissue in the nasal cavity where olfactory receptors are located

olfactory receptor: dendrite of a specialized neuron

organ of Corti: in the basilar membrane, the site of the transduction of sound, a mechanical wave, to a neural signal

ossicle: one of the three bones of the middle ear

outer ear: part of the ear that consists of the auricle, ear canal, and tympanum and which conducts sound waves into the middle ear

oval window: thin diaphragm between the middle and inner ears that receives sound waves from contact with the stapes bone of the middle ear

Pacinian corpuscle: encapsulated mechanoreceptor in the skin that responds to deep pressure and vibration

papilla: one of the small bump-like projections from the tongue

perception: individual interpretation of a sensation; a brain function

pheromone: substance released by an animal that can affect the physiology or behavior of other animals

presbyopia: visual defect in which the image focus falls behind the retina, thereby making images in the distance clear, but close-up images blurry; caused by age-based changes in the lens

proprioception: sense of limb position; used to track kinesthesia

pupil: small opening though which light enters

reception: receipt of a signal (such as light or sound) by sensory receptors

receptive field: region in space in which a stimulus can activate a given sensory receptor

receptor potential: membrane potential in a sensory receptor in response to detection of a stimulus

retina: layer of photoreceptive and supporting cells on the inner surface of the back of the eye

rhodopsin: main photopigment in vertebrates

rod: strongly photosensitive, achromatic, cylindrical neuron in the outer edges of the retina that detects dim light and is used in peripheral and nighttime vision

Ruffini ending: (also, bulbous corpuscle) slowly-adapting mechanoreceptor in the skin that responds to skin stretch and joint position

semicircular canal: one of three half-circular, fluid-filled tubes in the vestibular labyrinth that monitors angular acceleration and deceleration

sensory receptor: specialized neuron or other cells associated with a neuron that is modified to receive specific sensory input

sensory transduction: conversion of a sensory stimulus into electrical energy in the nervous system by a change in the membrane potential

stapes: (also, stirrup) third of the three bones of the middle ear

stereocilia: in the auditory system, hair-like projections from hair cells that help detect sound waves

superior colliculus: paired structure in the top of the midbrain, which manages eye movements and auditory integration

suprachiasmatic nucleus: cluster of cells in the hypothalamus that plays a role in the circadian cycle

tastant: food molecule that stimulates gustatory receptors

taste bud: clusters of taste cells

tectorial membrane: cochlear structure that lies above the hair cells and participates in the transduction of sound at the hair cells

tonic activity: in a neuron, slight continuous activity while at rest

tympanum: (also, tympanic membrane or ear drum) thin diaphragm between the outer and middle ears

ultrasound: sound frequencies above the human detectable ceiling of approximately 20,000 Hz

umami: one of the five basic tastes, which is described as “savory” and which may be largely the taste of L-glutamate

vestibular sense: sense of spatial orientation and balance

vision: sense of sight