Week 7 - 8: The Mechanical and Chemical Senses

What type of sensations are included in the mechanical senses?

Touch, pain, body sensations, and vestibular sensations

Which organ is responsible for monitoring head movements and directing eye movements for balance?

Vestibular organ

What stimulates the hair cells in the otolith organs?

Otoliths

Which receptors are responsible for detecting deep pressure?

Pressure receptors Signup and view all the answers

What principle do receptors following specific stimuli adhere to?

Labeled-line principle Signup and view all the answers

Which principle describes receptors responding to various stimuli contributing to perception?

Across-fiber pattern principle Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of melatonin in the regulation of sleepiness?

Resetting the biological clock Signup and view all the answers

Which cells respond to light changes and play a role in resetting the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)?

Retinal ganglion cells containing melanopsin Signup and view all the answers

What neurotransmitter plays a role in promoting wakefulness by releasing from brain structures like the locus coeruleus?

Histamine Signup and view all the answers

Which sleep disorder is characterized by frequent daytime sleepiness along with symptoms like cataplexy and sleep paralysis?

Narcolepsy Signup and view all the answers

Which structure increases alertness and is part of the brain mechanisms regulating arousal and attention?

Reticular formation Signup and view all the answers

In individuals with blind, what cells play a role in regulating sleep-wake cycles by responding to light changes?

Retinal ganglion cells containing melanopsin Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary zeitgeber for land animals?

Light Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus?

Regulating sleep and temperature rhythms Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of disruptions to circadian rhythms?

Sleep disturbances and inefficiency Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of 'larks'?

Being early risers Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a secondary zeitgeber?

Meals Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of mutations in the SCN?

Alteration of circadian rhythms Signup and view all the answers

Which cranial nerve is responsible for transmitting taste signals to the brain?

Facial nerve Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the loss of smell?

Anosmia Signup and view all the answers

Through which pathway are touch signals transmitted?

Dorsal column-medial lemniscal pathway Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the loss of taste?

Ageusia Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of endogenous circadian rhythms?

To regulate daily cycles of wakefulness and sleep Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for disorders related to the processing of sensory information?

Sensory processing disorders Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a toucan's large bill?

To regulate body temperature Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of homeostasis?

To maintain body variables within a narrow range Signup and view all the answers

What triggers the body's response to infection, leading to fever?

Cytokines Signup and view all the answers

Which brain region is responsible for regulating hunger and satiety?

Arcuate nucleus and paraventricular hypothalamus Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the dynamic changes in set points in response to environmental or life changes?

Allostasis Signup and view all the answers

How do humans regulate water balance?

By drinking more water than necessary and excreting excess Signup and view all the answers