Introduction To Special Senses Web Quest

Introduction to Special Senses Web Quest
Answer the following questions:

Smell
1. Sketch the sequence of events that an odorant triggers.
2. List 4 examples of GPCRs.

 receptors of peptide hormones
 taste receptors
 the light receptor rhodopsin
 GABAB receptors at certain synapses in the brain
3. How can one kind of cell enable us to discriminate among so many different
odors?
The mammalian genome contains a family of about 1000 related but separate
genes encoding different odor receptors.
4. What are some functions of smell?
The sense of smell allows one to anticipate and distinguish the odors. Base on
the emotions evoked by various types of odors they are classified as positive,
negative, or neutral. Smell receptor are chemical receptors and telereceptors.
Sufficient stimuli are odor molecules scattered in the air.
5. What is bromhidrosism? What causes it?
Bromhidrosis is a chronic condition in which excessive odor, usually an

unpleasant one, emanates from the skin. It is caused by decomposition by
bacteria and yeasts of sweat gland secretions and cellular debris.
Taste
1. Define the following terms:
Taste Bud: are sensory organs that are found on our tongue and allow us to experience
tastes that are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.
Papillae: are the small bumps located on the top and sides of our tongue. They give our
tongue a rough texture, which helps us to eat. They also contain taste buds and
temperature sensors.
2. Draw and label the taste bud and explain its structure and how it reflects
function. How does a taste bud receive the chemical stimulus?
The taste bud are involved in detecting the five elements of taste perception, and these
are salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami. Taste buds have very sensitive microscopic
hairs called microvilli. Those tiny hairs send messages to the brain about how
something tastes, so you know if it’s sweet, sour, bitter, or salty. Taste bud receive the
chemical stimulus through complex transduction schemes and synaptic activation of
neurons, stimulus information is sent to the brain by peripheral neurons.
3. Approximately, how many taste buds does a tongue have?
Your tongue has between 2,000 and 4,000 taste buds. The average adult has between
2,000 to 4,000 taste buds in total. The sensory cells in the taste buds responsible for
how we perceive taste renew themselves every week.
4. Sketch a picture of a tongue and label the primary taste sensations.
6. How many taste cells do each taste bud have?
They have numerous sensory cells that are in turn connected to many different
nerve fibers. Each taste bud has between 10 and 50 sensory cells.
Vision
1. Sketch an eyeball and label the important parts.
2. What is the blind spot?

The blind spot is where the optic nerve and blood vessels leave the eyeball. The optic
nerve is connected to the brain. It carries images to the brain, where they're processed.
This is how we know what we're seeing.
3. What is a cataract?
A cataract is a dense, cloudy area that forms in the lens of the eye. It develops slowly
and eventually interferes with your vision. You might end up with cataracts in both eyes,
but they usually don’t form at the same time.
4. Distinguish between rods and cones.
Rods are responsible for vision at low light levels. They do not mediate color vision and
have a low spatial acuity. Cones are active at higher light levels, are capable of color
vision and are responsible for high spatial acuity. The central fovea is populated
exclusively by cones.
5. How is color-blindness inherited?
The most common kinds of color blindness are genetic, meaning they’re passed down
from parents. If your color blindness is genetic, your color vision will not get any better
or worse over time.
Hearing
1. What is the pinna?
The pinna is the only visible part of the ear with its special helical shape. It is the first
part of the ear that reacts with sound.
2. Sketch an ear and label the main parts.
3. What does the ear drum do?

Eardrum is a thin flap of skin that is stretched tight like a drum and vibrates when sound
hits it. These vibrations move the tiny bones of the middle ear, which send vibrations to
the inner ear.
4. What is the Organ of Corti?
The organ of Corti is the receptor organ for hearing. It rests on the surface of the basilar
membrane in the cochlea and contains hair cells, which transduce vibrations caused by
sound waves into electrical impulses that can be interpreted by the brain.
5. What do the Semi-circular canals regulate?
Semicircular canals are three tiny, fluid-filled tubes in your inner ear that help you keep
your balance. When your head moves around, the liquid inside the semicircular
canals sloshes around and moves the tiny hairs that line each canal.
Equilibrium
1. Distinguish between balance, equilibrium, and stability.
Balance is a person's ability to control their equilibrium with gravity only, whereas
stability is your body's ability to “return to a desired position or trajectory following a
disturbance to equilibrium.
2. Describe an exercise designed to improve balance.
Tai chi is a gentle exercise often called “meditation in motion,” can help us cut down on
falls if we are older and having balance issues. First to do is the One-legged stand,
second is Weight Shifts, third is Yoga and Pilates, fourth is Heel-to-Toe Walk, fifth is
Back-leg Raises, sixth is the Knee Curl, seventh is the Toe stand, eighth is Squats,
ninth is Side Steps, tenth is the Back Extension, and lastly is to Check your Balance to
know if we improved our balance with this exercise.

Introduction To Special Senses Web Quest

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Introduction to Special Senses Web Quest

Answer the following questions:

2. List 4 examples of GPCRs.

4. What are some functions of smell?

5. What is bromhidrosism? What causes it?

Bromhidrosis is a chronic condition in which excessive odor, usually an

2. What is the blind spot?

3. What does the ear drum do?

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