 Animals have specialised senses to provide

them with information about their

environment.

 A receptor is a cell that can detect a stimulus.

 A stimulus is any change in our environment

e.g. light, sound etc.
Sense Organ Stimulus

Sight Eye Light

Hearing Ear Sound

Touch, pressure,
Touch Skin temperature and
pain
Taste Tongue Chemicals

Smell Nose Chemicals

 Receptors for taste are
located in the taste buds.
◦ These are found in the top
and side of the tongue and in
some parts of the lining of the
throat.
 The four basic taste
receptors are sweet, sour,
bitter and salt.
 The flavour of food is a
combination of taste, smell,
texture and temperature.
 The roof of the nasal
passage has millions
of olfactory neurons
that detect smell.

 They respond to
different gaseous
chemicals to produce
different smells.
 Touch is a very generalised sense that is
located in the skin.
 It involves receptors with the ability to sense
a number of stimuli:
◦ Touch receptors
◦ Pressure receptors
◦ Pain receptors
◦ Temperature receptors (Heat and Cold)
 These receptors are found in different
concentrations around the body.
◦ There are few touch receptors in the heel of the
foot and many temperature receptors in the elbow.
 The eyelids can cover and protect the eyes.

 The conjunctiva is a thin transparent lining

protecting the cornea.

 The cornea is the front transparent part of

the sclera, it focuses light rays on the retina.
 The sclera is the tough outer layer, “the
white”, of the eye. It maintains the shape of
the eye.

 The choroid contains the blood vessels

supplying the eye with food and oxygen.

 The retina contains the receptor cells:

o Rods – detect black and white.
o Cones – detect colour (red, green, blue).
 The fovea contains mainly cones and is the
area of sharpest vision, most images are
focused here.

 The front of the choroid forms the iris.

 The iris contains blood vessels and melanin

(giving us our eye colour) and controls the
amount of light entering the eye (through the
pupil).
 In bright light, the pupil constricts.

 In dim light, the pupil dilates.

 The ciliary muscle is the
thickened edge of the
choroid and controls
the shape of the lens.
 The suspensory
ligaments hold the lens
in place.
 The lens acts like a
magnifying glass and
focuses light rays on
the retina.
 Accommodation is the ability of the lens to
change its shape (focal length) to form a clear
image.
Close Vision
 For close vision the ciliary muscles contract,
the suspensory ligaments relax and the lens
becomes thicker.
Distant Vision
 For distant vision (when the eye is at rest),
the ciliary muscles relax, the suspensory
ligaments tense and the lens becomes
thinner.
Distant Objects
 The ciliary muscle relaxes causing the
suspensory ligaments to pull tight, making
the lens thinner.
◦ The light doesn’t bend as much.
Close Objects
 The ciliary muscle contracts, causing the lens
to become fatter.
◦ The light bends more.
 The aqueous humour is the watery liquid that
supplies the lens and cornea with nutrients
and helps to keep their shape.

 The vitreous humour keeps the retina smooth

and supplies it with nutrients.
 When light rays focus on the retina the
receptor cells are stimulated and impulses are
carried along the optic nerve to the brain.

 The blind spot is where the optic nerve fibres

pass through the retina and there is no room
for receptors.
Long-sightedness (Hypermetropia)
 You are long-sighted if you can clearly see
objects in the distance but cannot see objects
that are close by.
◦ Convex lenses can correct this defect.
Short-sightedness (Myopia)
 You are short-sighted if you can clearly see
objects close to you but cannot see objects
that are in the distance.
◦ Concave lenses can correct this defect.
 The outer ear consists of the:
◦ Pinna
◦ Auditory Canal

 The pinna is the visible part of the ear.

◦ It funnels sound into the auditory canal.

 The auditory canal is the tube leading to the

eardrum.
◦ It has hairs and wax glands to trap dirt and germs.
 The middle ear consists of the:
◦ Eardrum
◦ Ossicles
◦ Eustachian Tube
 The eardrum is a membrane that vibrates
when sound waves hit it.
 The ossicles are three tiny bones (hammer,
anvil and stirrup) that amplify the sound.
 The eustachian tube runs to the throat and
prevents damage by keeping the pressure on
both sides of the eardrum equal.
Semicircular
canals
 The inner ear consists of the:
◦ Semicircular Canals
◦ Cochlea
◦ Vestibular Nerve
◦ Auditory Nerve
 The cochlea is a fluid filled tube which
contains hairs and nerves that convert sound
vibrations into electrical impulses.
 The semicircular canals are also fluid filled
and help us keep our posture and balance.
 The pinna channels the sound vibrations
towards the eardrum which then vibrates.

 This causes the hammer, anvil and stirrup to

vibrate which amplifies the sound.

 The stirrup pushes the oval window of the

cochlea, moving the liquid inside.
 Special hairs on receptor cells detect this
movement and send signals to the brain
along the auditory nerve.

 The brain interprets the signal as sounds and

we ‘hear’.
 The semi-circular canals
help us to keep our
balance and posture.
 Head movements are
detected by nerves in
the canals.
 The brain responds by
sending messages
through the cerebellum
which trigger reflex
actions in our muscles.
Deafness
 Deafness can be caused by long exposure to
a high level of noise.
◦ This causes damage to the eardrum, ossicles and
cochlea which results in incurable deafness.

 Workers exposed to prolonged sound over 90

decibels (dB) must wear ear protection.

 Any exposure to 140 dB causes immediate

damage to hearing.
Glue Ear
 Glue ear is a common disorder in children
and is caused by a sticky fluid collecting in
the middle ear.
 This prevents the free movement of the
eardrum and ossicles.
 In mild cases a decongestant can be taken to
clear the fluid.
 In severe cases small tubes called grommets
are inserted into the eardrum.
◦ This allows air into the middle ear and forces the
fluid down the Eustachian tube.