___________________________________________Chapter 17 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear

1 Lesson Plan
7 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear
TEACHING FOCUS
Students will have the opportunity to learn the anatomy and physiology of two key sense organs: the eye and
the ear. Students will have the opportunity to learn symptoms and pathologies, as well as common medical
procedures, associated with these organs. Finally, the chapter provides an overview of combining forms,
suffixes, and terminology related to these sense organs and how they can be properly applied in the context
of medical reports and records.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Copies of articles from ophthalmology

journals (Lesson 17.1)
Diagrams of eyes with errors of refraction
(Lesson 17.1)
Aural thermometer (Lesson 17.3)
Key term bingo cards (Lesson 17.1)

Otoscope (Lesson 17.3)

Snellen eye chart (Lesson 17.2)
Transparency or PowerPoint slide of the eye
and the ear (Lesson 17.1)
Tuning fork (Lesson 17.3)
Visual pathway chart (Lesson 17.1)

LESSON CHECKLIST

Preparations for this lesson include:

Lecture
Demonstration
Student performance evaluation of all entry-level skills required for student comprehension and
application of eye and ear terminology, including:
o anatomy and physiology of the eye and ear
o abbreviations, prefixes, suffixes, combining forms, and other eye and ear terminology
o appropriate clinical procedures
o symptoms and pathologies associated with the eye and ear

KEY TERMS
Vocabulary (Eye) (pp. 699-700)
accommodation
anterior chamber
aqueous humor
biconvex
choroid
ciliary body
cone
conjunctiva
cornea
fovea centralis
fundus of the eye
iris
lens
macula
optic chiasm
optic disc
optic nerve
pupil
refraction
retina
rod

sclera
thalamus
vitreous humor
Terminology (pp. 700-704)
aque/o
blephar/o
conjunctiv/o
cor/o
corne/o
cycl/o
dacry/o
ir/o
irid/o
kerat/o
lacrim/o
ocul/o
ophthalm/o
opt/o
optic/o
palpebr/o
papill/o
phac/o, phak/o
pupill/o

___________________________________________Chapter 17 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear

retin/o
scler/o
uve/o
vitre/o
ambly/o
dipl/o
glauc/o
mi/o
mydr/o
nyct/o
phot/o
presby/o
scot/o
xer/o
-opia
-opsia
-tropia
Errors of Refraction (pp. 704-706)
astigmatism
hyperopia (hypermetropia)
myopia
presbyopia
Pathology The Eye (pp. 706-710)
cataract
chalazion
diabetic retinopathy
glaucoma
hordeolum
macular degeneration
nystagmus
retinal detachment
strabismus
Clinical Procedures (pp. 710-714)
fluorescein angiography
ophthalmoscopy
slit lamp microscopy
visual acuity test
visual field test
enucleation
keratoplasty
laser photocoagulation
LASIK
phacoemulsification
scleral buckle
vitrectomy
Vocabulary (Ear) (p. 717)
auditory canal
auditory meatus
auditory nerve fibers
auditory tube

auricle
cerumen
cochlea
endolymph
eustachian tube
incus
labyrinth
malleus
organ of Corti
ossicle
oval window
perilymph
pinna
semicircular canals
stapes
tympanic membrane
vestibule
Terminology The Ear (pp. 718-719)
acous/o
audi/o
audit/o
aur/o
auricul/o
cochle/o
mastoid/o
myring/o
ossicul/o
ot/o
salping/o
staped/o
tympan/o
vestibul/o
-acusis or -cusis
-otia
Pathology The Ear (pp. 720-721)
acoustic neuroma
cholesteatoma
deafness
Mnire disease
otitis media
otosclerosis
tinnitus
vertigo
Clinical Procedures (pp. 722-723)
audiometry
cochlear implant
ear thermometry
otoscopy
tuning fork test

___________________________________________Chapter 17 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear

REFERENCE LIST
PowerPoint slides (CD, Evolve): 1-70

Legend

CD
Companion
CD

iTerms

IRM
Instructors
Resource Manual
available on CD
and Evolve

Evolve
Evolve
Resources

PPT
PowerPoint
Slides

MTO
Medical
Terminology
Online

Class Activities are indicated in bold italic.

___________________________________________Chapter 17 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear

LESSON 17.1
PRETEST
IRM Exercise Quiz B

BACKGROUND ASSESSMENT
Question: What is the error of refraction called that occurs in most people as they age, impairing their
ability to see close objects? Why does this condition tend to occur with aging?
Answer: The typical impairment of vision as a result of aging is called presbyopia. It is due to the loss of
elasticity of the ciliary body. The ciliary muscles and responding fibers normally adjust the thickness of the
lens to accommodate for near vision. However, as the ciliary body loses elasticity, the lens cannot get fat
enough to bend the light rays from near objects and focus them on the retina. For treatment, a correcting
convex lens can refract the rays coming from objects closer than 20 feet and cause them to fall back onto the
retina instead of behind. These convex lenses are often worn as reading glasses or in bifocals.
Question: What happens when you are on an airplane and you feel your ears start to pop or have a
plugged-up feeling that is somewhat relieved when you swallow? Why does this feeling of the eardrum
occur, and why does swallowing relieve the symptoms?
Answer: Air is present on both sides of the eardrum. Normally, the pressure of air in the middle ear is equal
to the pressure of air in the external environment. When you go up in an airplane, the pressure in the outer
ear, like that of the atmosphere, drops, while the pressure in the middle ear remains the same (greater than
that in the outer ear). This causes the eardrum to bulge outward, resulting in a feeling of pressure.
Swallowing can often relieve this pressure because it opens the eustachian tube, a canal leading from the
middle ear to the pharynx that is normally closed. This allows air to leave the middle ear and enter the throat,
balancing atmospheric and middle ear air pressures.

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION

Claude Monet was an artist who was known for his impressionist paintings. Later in life, the choices
of colors in his paintings changed. These color choices were the result of a visual disorder. What is the
visual disorder and why did it affect his choice of colors?
Guidelines: Monet developed cataracts, which changed his perception of color. His particular type of
cataracts caused him to perceive more yellow in what he saw, and fewer blues and greens.

OBJECTIVES
Identify locations
and functions of
the major parts
of the eye and
ear.

CONTENT

Introduction (p. 694)

The eye (p. 694)

Anatomy and physiology

(p. 694)

TEACHING RESOURCES
PPT 5-8
MTO Module 17, Section I, Lessons 1-3
Figure 17-1 Pattern of events in the stimulation
of a sense organ (p. 694)
Figure 17-2 Structure of the eye (p. 695)
Figure 17-3 Posterior, inner part (fundus) of the
eye (p. 696)
Exercises A, B (pp. 725-726)
Discuss how light travels through the
different parts of the eye on its path to the
cerebral cortex. Refer to Figure 17-4 (p. 697)
and Figure 17-5 (p. 698) as necessary.
Divide the class into two
competing teams. Show a transparency or
PowerPoint slide of the eye and then the ear.
Call out a number and ask students to name
the unlabeled part. Award a point to the first
team to answer correctly.
Class Activity

Have students label a blank

diagram themselves. After reviewing the
Class Activity

___________________________________________Chapter 17 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear

OBJECTIVES

CONTENT

TEACHING RESOURCES
labeling of the structures, ask them to save
the diagrams to label with the appropriate
combining forms.

Name the
combining
forms, prefixes,
and suffixes
most commonly
used to describe
these organs
and their parts.

Describe the
pathological
conditions that
may affect the
eye and ear.

Vocabulary (p. 699)

Terminology The Eye (p. 700)

Structures and fluids (p. 700)
Conditions (p. 703)
Suffixes (p. 704)

Errors of refraction (p. 704)

Pathology (p. 706)

PPT 9-11
Figure 17-6 A, Blepharitis; B, Acute bacterial
conjunctivitis (p. 700)
Figure 17-7 Lacrimal (tear) gland and ducts
(p. 701)
Class Activity Pass

out copies of various

articles from ophthalmology journals to
students. Ask students to search the articles to
locate, underline, and define all terminology,
combining forms, and suffixes related to the
eye. Each student should define as many of
the words as possible in a 5-minute period.
PPT 12-19
MTO Module 17, Section II, Lessons 1-4
Figure 17-8 Errors of refraction (p. 705)
Figure 17-9 Cataract (p. 706)
Figure 17-10 Chalazion (p. 706)
Figure 17-11 Glaucoma and circulation of
aqueous humor (p. 707)
Figure 17-12 A, Normal vision; B, Macular
degeneration (p. 709)
Table 17-1 Eyelid abnormalities (p. 708)
Exercises C-J (pp. 726-730)
Discuss pathological conditions of the eye.
Which are age-related conditions? What are
potential treatments?
Provide students with unlabeled
diagrams of eyes with various errors of
refraction, similar to those in Figure 17-8.
Ask students to label each diagram for the
type of error portrayed, as well as the lens
necessary to correct the problem.
Class Activity

17.1 Homework/Assignments:

17.1 Teachers Notes:

___________________________________________Chapter 17 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear

___________________________________________Chapter 17 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear

LESSON 17.2
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION
Roberta is considering laser surgery for her eyes. She has worn corrective lenses for years, with
contact lenses for the past 7 years. What kinds of questions should she ask her doctor?
Guidelines: Roberta should realize that laser eye surgery is still not foolproof. Patients with uncontrolled
vascular diseases, autoimmune disorders, and pregnant women should not have the procedure. It is a costly
procedure, generally not covered by insurance, and although the results are quick and problem free for many
people, others have complications such as halo effects and infection.

OBJECTIVES
Identify clinical
procedures that
pertain to
ophthalmology
and otology.

CONTENT

Clinical procedures and

abbreviations (p. 710)
Diagnostic (p. 710)
Treatment (p. 712)

TEACHING RESOURCES
PPT 21-27
MTO Module 17, Section III, Lessons 1-2
Figure 17-13 Normal fluorescein angiogram
(p. 710)
Figure 17-14 Ophthalmoscopy (p. 710)
Figure 17-15 Slit lamp examination (p. 711)
Figure 17-16 A, Snellen chart; B, Visual fields
(p. 711)
Figure 17-17 Eye after keratoplasty (p. 712)
Figure 17-18 LASIK (p. 712)
Figure 17-19 Phacoemulsification (p. 713)
Figure 17-20 A, Detached retina; B, Scleral
buckling procedure (p. 713)
Exercises K-M (pp. 730-731)
Discuss the meaning of the 20/20 ratio when
referring to the results of the visual acuity test
using a Snellen eye chart.
Class Activity Obtain

a Snellen eye chart for

visual acuity. Have students perform the eye
test on each other. For those with corrective
lenses, determine the ratio with and without
glasses. Have students analyze the findings in
various ways, such as finding the average
ratio for the class or comparing the ratio
among subgroups of the class, etc.
Class Activity Have

students research the

current FDA- approved procedures for
correction of refractive disorders. Have them
report their findings
Have students take turns
reading Exercises and giving the answers.
Ask them to spell, analyze, and underline the
accented syllable in the terms listed.
Class Activity

Divide the students into several

teams. Provide each team with unique bingo
cards featuring a grid of nine random terms
related to the eye. Pick and read aloud
definitions for the terms in the section at
Class Activity

___________________________________________Chapter 17 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear

OBJECTIVES

CONTENT

TEACHING RESOURCES
random, and have students mark the
corresponding words on their cards. Keep a
record of the terms that have been defined.
The game ends when a student is able to
correctly mark three terms in a row on his or
her card. Have a representative from the team
read off the marked terms to verify against
the record of terms defined during the game.
Correct the students pronunciation when
necessary. Play multiple rounds.

17.2 Homework/Assignments:

17.2 Teachers Notes:

___________________________________________Chapter 17 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear

LESSON 17.3
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION
Abnormalities of sensation can result from disease or dysfunction in the receptors for sensation or
along the pathway that sends the signals from the receptors to specific areas of the brain. The
abnormality can also be the result of brain abnormalities with no reported problems in the areas of
reception or transmission. What is the correct terminology to use to describe these different types of
abnormalities as they pertain to the sense of hearing? Give an example of each.
Guidelines: Nerve deafness, also called sensorineural hearing loss, results from impairment of the cochlea
or auditory (acoustic) nerve. Acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor arising from the acoustic vestibulocochlear
nerve that results in tinnitus (ringing in the ears), vertigo, and decreased hearing. This is a deficit produced at
the level of transmission. Conductive deafness results from impairment of the middle ear ossicles and
membranes transmitting sound waves into the cochlea. Otosclerosis is hardening of the bony tissue of the
labyrinth of the ear, fixing or stiffening the stapes and causing conduction deafness, as the ossicles cannot
pass on vibrations when sound enters the ear.

OBJECTIVES
Identify locations
and functions of
the major parts
of the eye and
ear.

CONTENT
The ear (p. 714)

Anatomy and physiology

(p. 714)

TEACHING RESOURCES
PPT 29-33
MTO Module 17, Section VI, Lessons 1-2
Figure 17-21 Anatomy of the ear (p. 715)
Exercises N, O (pp. 731-732)
Discuss the key parts of the ear and their
functions. Note the pathway that sound follows
through the parts of ear to the brain.
Play a telephone game. Assign
several students to represent the parts of the
ear and brain portrayed in Figure 17-22.
Write down a brief message and then verbally
tell it only to the student representing the
pinna. Ask this student to tell the message
only to the student representing the next part
in the sound pathway. Continue until the
message reaches the cerebral cortex. If
students make mistakes choosing the right
pathway, then redirect them. The goal is to
get the message to the student representing
the cerebral cortex.
Class Activity

Pass out copies of the diagram

for the ear and ask students to label them
with the correct terms. Use them in the next
segment to include the combining forms.
Class Activity

___________________________________________Chapter 17 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear

OBJECTIVES
Name the
combining
forms, prefixes,
and suffixes
most commonly
used to describe
these organs
and their parts.

CONTENT

Vocabulary (p. 717)

Terminology The Ear (p. 718)

10

TEACHING RESOURCES
PPT 34

Combining forms (p. 718)

Figure 17-23 A, Stapedectomy; B, A prosthetic

device (p. 719)

Suffixes (p. 719)

Exercises O, P (pp. 732-733)

Have students choose partners
and create flash cards for the key terminology
in this section. Have the students quiz each
other on the terms.
Class Activity

Using the combining forms,

divide the students into groups, and ask them
to build as many medical terms as possible.
Have one person in each group be the fact
checker to verify the terms.
Class Activity

Describe the
pathological
conditions that
may affect the
eye and ear.

Pathology (p. 720)

PPT 35-37
MTO Module 17, Section VII, Lesson 1
Figure 17-24 A-D Tympanic membranes with
various symptoms (p. 720)
Exercise P (p. 733)
Discuss the pathological conditions that may
affect the ear, and describe their treatments.

Identify clinical
procedures that
pertain to
ophthalmology
and otology.

Clinical procedures (p. 722)

PPT 38-39
MTO Module 17, Section VIII, Lesson 1
Figure 17-25 Pure-tone audiometer (p. 722)
Figure 17-26 A, Cochlear implant; B,
Otoscopic examination (p. 723)
Discuss clinical procedures related to the
ears and their purposes.
Class Activity Ask

students to find examples of

audiograms for various types of hearing
disorders. Have them share their findings
with the class.
Class Activity Divide

the class into groups, and

ask the groups to research the varieties of
treatments for hearing disorders. Have them
present their findings to the class.
Apply your new
knowledge to
understanding
medical terms in
their proper
contexts, such
as medical
reports and
records.
Performance

Practical applications (p. 724)

MTO Module 17, Sections V and X

Review Sheet (pp. 742-743)
Have students work together to
complete IRM Practical Applications A and
B. Ask them to analyze each of the terms used
and underline the accented syllable.
Class Activity

___________________________________________Chapter 17 Sense Organs: The Eye and the Ear

OBJECTIVES

CONTENT

Evaluation

11

TEACHING RESOURCES
ESLR Body Spectrum Electronic Anatomy
Coloring Book: Senses
ESLR Student Quiz Chapter 17
MTO Module 17, Sections I-III and VI-VIII
quizzes
MTO Module 17 Exam
iTerms Chapter 17

17.3 Homework/Assignments:

17.3 Teachers Notes: