All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Identify the correct receptor type for seeing a bright flashlight: photoreceptor, thermoreceptor, or nociceptor.
Answer: Photoreceptor. Bright light activates photoreceptors in the retina.
Flashcard 2: Identify the correct receptor type for smelling perfume molecules: mechanoreceptor, chemoreceptor, or photoreceptor.
Answer: Chemoreceptor. Perfume molecules bind to nasal chemoreceptors for smell detection.
Flashcard 3: Which type of receptor detects chemicals for taste and smell: chemoreceptor or thermoreceptor?
Answer: Chemoreceptor. These bind to specific molecules to detect odors and flavors.
Flashcard 4: Which type of receptor detects temperature changes: thermoreceptor or photoreceptor?
Answer: Thermoreceptor. These detect hot and cold by responding to thermal energy changes.
Flashcard 5: Which type of receptor detects potentially damaging stimuli and pain: nociceptor or photoreceptor?
Answer: Nociceptor. These specialized pain receptors protect us from tissue damage.
Flashcard 6: What is the basic pathway from stimulus to response in the nervous system?
Answer: Receptor → sensory neuron → CNS → motor neuron → effector. This sequence shows how sensory input becomes motor output.
Flashcard 7: What is the central nervous system (CNS) and what does it do with sensory input?
Answer: Brain and spinal cord; it processes input and coordinates responses. The CNS integrates sensory data to generate appropriate responses.
Flashcard 8: What is an effector in a sensory-to-response pathway?
Answer: A muscle or gland that carries out the response. Effectors execute CNS commands to produce physical responses.
Flashcard 9: What is a stimulus in the context of sensory receptors and the nervous system?
Answer: A detectable change in the internal or external environment. Stimuli trigger receptor activation and nervous system responses.
Flashcard 10: What is a sensory receptor and what is its main function in the body?
Answer: A specialized cell that detects stimuli and starts nerve signals. These cells convert stimuli into electrical signals for the brain.
Flashcard 11: What is sensory transduction in sensory receptors?
Answer: Conversion of a stimulus into an electrical nerve signal. This process transforms physical/chemical stimuli into nerve impulses.
Flashcard 12: Which type of receptor detects light for vision: mechanoreceptor, photoreceptor, or chemoreceptor?
Answer: Photoreceptor. Light-sensitive cells in the retina enable vision.
Flashcard 13: Which type of receptor detects pressure or vibration: mechanoreceptor, photoreceptor, or chemoreceptor?
Answer: Mechanoreceptor. These respond to physical forces like touch and sound waves.
Flashcard 14: What is a reflex and how is it different from a voluntary response?
Answer: A rapid automatic response; it does not require conscious control. Reflexes bypass conscious processing for faster protective responses.
Flashcard 15: What term describes the minimum stimulus strength needed for a receptor to respond?
Answer: Threshold. Below-threshold stimuli cannot generate action potentials.
Flashcard 16: Which change best indicates sensory adaptation: firing increases, firing decreases, or firing stays constant?
Answer: Firing decreases. Adaptation reduces neural activity to prevent sensory overload.
Flashcard 17: What is sensory adaptation in receptors during a constant, unchanging stimulus?
Answer: Decreased receptor response over time to a constant stimulus. Receptors reduce firing to filter out unchanging background stimuli.
Flashcard 18: Identify the correct receptor type for stepping on a sharp object and feeling pain: nociceptor or thermoreceptor.
Answer: Nociceptor. Sharp objects trigger pain receptors to signal potential injury.
Flashcard 19: Identify the correct receptor type for touching a hot pan and sensing heat: thermoreceptor or photoreceptor.
Answer: Thermoreceptor. Heat energy activates temperature-sensitive nerve endings.
Flashcard 20: Identify the correct receptor type for feeling a phone vibrate in your hand: mechanoreceptor or chemoreceptor.
Answer: Mechanoreceptor. Vibrations stimulate mechanoreceptors in skin and tissues.
Flashcard 21: Which type of receptor detects chemicals such as odorants and dissolved tastes?
Answer: Chemoreceptor. These bind to specific molecules to detect smells and tastes.
Flashcard 22: Choose the correct receptor type: smelling smoke in the air uses which receptor class?
Answer: Chemoreceptor. Smoke molecules bind to olfactory chemoreceptors in the nose.
Flashcard 23: Which receptor type is primarily responsible for detecting touch and pressure on the skin?
Answer: Mechanoreceptor. Skin contains various mechanoreceptors for different pressures.
Flashcard 24: What chemical messenger carries a signal across most synapses?
Answer: Neurotransmitter. These molecules bind to receptors on the receiving cell.
Flashcard 25: What is the function of the myelin sheath on many neurons?
Answer: It increases the speed of nerve impulse transmission. Myelin acts as insulation, allowing faster signal conduction.
Flashcard 26: Which part of a neuron receives incoming signals from other cells?
Answer: Dendrites. These branched structures collect signals from other neurons.
Flashcard 27: What is a reflex, as opposed to a voluntary response?
Answer: A rapid, automatic response that does not require conscious control. Reflexes bypass the brain for faster protective responses.
Flashcard 28: Identify the correct pathway order: receptor, sensory neuron, CNS, motor neuron, effector.
Answer: Receptor → sensory neuron → CNS → motor neuron → effector. This sequence shows how stimuli lead to responses.
Flashcard 29: What is the central nervous system structure that relays many sensory signals to the cortex?
Answer: Thalamus. This brain region processes sensory input before cortical analysis.
Flashcard 30: What term describes the minimum stimulus strength needed to trigger a receptor response?
Answer: Threshold. Below this level, stimuli are too weak to generate a response.