8 SPECIAL SENSES

The body’s sensory receptors react to stimuli or changes occurring both within
the body and in the external environment. When triggered, these receptors
send nerve impulses along afferent pathways to the brain for interpretation,
thus allowing the body to assess and adjust to changing conditions so that
homeostasis may be maintained.

The minute receptors of general sensation that react to touch—pressure, pain,

temperature changes, and muscle tension—are widely distributed in the body.
These are considered in Chapter 7. In contrast, receptors of the special
senses—sight, hearing, equilibrium, smell, and taste—tend to be localized and
in many cases are quite complex. The structure and function of the special
sense organs are the subjects of the student activities in this chapter.

THE EYE AND VISION

1. Complete the following statements by inserting your responses in the
answer blanks.

_________________________ 1. Attached to the eyes are the (1) muscles that allow us to
direct our eyes toward a moving object. The anterior aspect
_________________________ 2. of each eye is protected by the (2) , which have eyelashes
projecting from their edges. Closely associated with the lashes
_________________________ 3. are oil-secreting glands called (3) that help to lubricate the
eyes. Inflammation of the mucosa lining the eyelids and cov-
_________________________ 4. ering the anterior part of the eyeball is called (4) .

2. Trace the pathway that the secretion of the lacrimal glands takes from the
surface of the eye by assigning a number to each structure. (Note that #1
will be closest to the lacrimal gland.)

______ 1. Lacrimal sac ______ 3. Nasolacrimal duct

______ 2. Nasal cavity ______ 4. Lacrimal canals

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3. Identify each of the eye muscles indicated by leader lines in Figure 8 –1.
Color code and color each muscle a different color. Then, in the blanks next
to the muscle names, indicate the eye movement caused by each muscle.

○ 1. Superior rectus ____________________ ○ 4. Lateral rectus _______________________

○ 2. Inferior rectus _____________________ ○ 5. Medial rectus _______________________

○ 3. Superior oblique ___________________ ○ 6. Inferior oblique _____________________

Optic nerve

Cornea

Figure 8–1

4. Three main accessory eye structures contribute to the formation of tears

and/or aid in lubricating the eyeball. In the table, name each structure and
then name its major secretory product. Indicate which of the secretions has
antibacterial properties by circling that response.

Accessory eye structures Secretory product

1.

2.

3.
 Chapter 8 Special Senses  167

5. Using the key choices, complete the crossword puzzle by answering each of the
clues provided.
Key Choices
Accommodation Emmetropia Night blindness
Astigmatism Glaucoma Photopupillary (reflex)
Cataract Hyperopia Refraction
Convergence Myopia

Across
2. Condition of increasing pressure inside the eye, resulting from blocked
drainage of aqueous humor.
6. Light bending.
7. Normal vision.
9. Clouding of the lens, resulting in loss of sight.
10. Inability to see well in the dark; often a result of vitamin A deficiency.

Down
1. Ability to focus for close vision (less than 20 feet).
3. Inability to focus well on close objects; farsightedness.
4. Reflex constriction of pupils when they are exposed to bright light.
5. Blurred vision, resulting from unequal curvatures of the lens or cornea.
8. Nearsightedness.
9. Medial movement of the eyes during focusing on close objects.

4 5

7 8

10
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6. The intrinsic eye muscles are under the control of which division of the
­nervous system? Circle the correct response.

1. Autonomic nervous system 2. Somatic nervous system

7. Complete the following statements by inserting your responses in the

answer blanks.

_________________________ 1. A (1) lens, like that of the eye, produces an image that is
upside down and reversed from left to right. Such an image is
_________________________ 2. called a (2) image. In farsightedness, the light is focused
(3) the retina. The lens used to treat farsightedness is a
_________________________ 3.
(4) lens. In nearsightedness, the light is focused (5) the
_________________________ 4. retina; it is corrected with a (6) lens.

_________________________ 5. _________________________ 6.

8. Using the key choices, identify the parts of the eye described in the following
statements. Insert the correct term or letter response in the answer blanks.

Key Choices
A. ○ Aqueous humor F. ○ Cornea K. ○ Retina
B. Canal of Schlemm G. ○ Fovea centralis L. ○ Sclera
C. ○ Choroid H. ○ Iris M. ○ Vitreous humor
D. ○ Ciliary body I. ○ Lens
E. ○ Ciliary zonule J. ○ Optic disk

_________________________ 1. Attaches the lens to the ciliary body

_________________________ 2. Fluid in the anterior segment that provides nutrients to the lens
and cornea

_________________________ 3. The “white” of the eye

_________________________ 4. Area of retina that lacks photoreceptors

_________________________ 5. Contains muscle that controls the shape of the lens

_________________________ 6. Nutritive (vascular) layer of the eye

_________________________ 7. Drains the aqueous humor of the eye

_________________________ 8. Layer containing the rods and cones

_________________________ 9. Gel-like substance that helps to reinforce the eyeball

_________________________ 10. Heavily pigmented layer that prevents light scattering within the eye

_________________________ 11. _________________________ 12. Smooth muscle structures (intrinsic

eye muscles)

_________________________ 13. Area of acute or discriminatory vision

_________________________ 14. _________________________ 15. Refractory media of the eye (#14–17)

_________________________ 16. _________________________ 17.

 Chapter 8 Special Senses  169

_________________________ 18. Most anterior part of the sclera—your “window on the world”

_________________________ 19. Pigmented “diaphragm” of the eye

9. Using the key choice terms given in Exercise 8, identify the structures indicated
by leader lines on the diagram of the eye in Figure 8 –2. Select different colors
for all structures provided with a color-coding circle in Exercise 8, and then use
them to color the coding circles and corresponding structures in the figure.

Figure 8–2

10. In the following table, circle the correct word under the vertical headings that
describes events occurring within the eye during close and distant vision.

Vision Ciliary muscle Lens convexity Degree of light refraction

1. Distant Relaxed Contracted Increased Decreased Increased Decreased

2. Close Relaxed Contracted Increased Decreased Increased Decreased

11. Name in sequence the neural elements of the visual pathway, beginning with
the retina and ending with the optic cortex.

Retina

Synapse in thalamus

Optic cortex
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12. Complete the following statements by inserting your responses in the

answer blanks.

_________________________ 1. There are (1) varieties of cones. One type responds most
vigorously to (2) light, another to (3) light, and still
_________________________ 2. another to (4) light. The ability to see intermediate colors
_________________________ 3. such as purple results from the fact that more than one cone
type is being stimulated (5) . Lack of all color receptors
_________________________ 4. results in (6) . Because this condition is sex-linked, it occurs
more commonly in (7) . Black and white, or dim light,
_________________________ 5. vision is a function of the (8) .
_________________________ 6. _________________________ 7. _________________________ 8.

13. Circle the term that does not belong in each of the following groupings. Then,
fill in the answer blanks with the correct group name.

1. Choroid  Sclera  Vitreous humor  Retina  Group: ____________

2. Superior rectus  Choroid  Group: ____________

Ciliary body  Iris  

3. Pupil constriction  Far vision  Accommodation  Bright light  Group: ____________

4. Proprioceptors  Rods  Cones  Respond to light  Group: ____________

Suspensory ligaments  Ciliary zonule  Group: ____________

5. Ciliary body  Iris  

6. Superior rectus  Inferior rectus  Group: ____________

Inferior oblique  Iris  

7. Retina  Pigmented layer  Photoreceptors  Rods and cones  Group: ____________

14. Complete the statements concerning rod photopigment and physiology by

writing your responses in the answer blanks.

_________________________ 1. The bent or kinked form of retinal is combined with a protein

called (1) to form the visual pigment called (2) . When
_________________________ 2. light strikes the visual pigment, it straightens out and breaks
down into its two components. This event is called (3)
_________________________ 3.
because the purple color of the visual pigment changes to
_________________________ 4. (4) and finally becomes (5) as retinal is converted all the
way back to vitamin (6) .
_________________________ 5. _________________________ 6.

THE EAR: HEARING AND BALANCE

15. Using the key choices, select the terms that apply to the following descrip-
tions. Place the correct letter in the answer blanks.

Key Choices
A. Anvil (incus) E. External acoustic I. Pinna M. Tympanic
meatus membrane
B. Pharyngotympanic F. Hammer (malleus) J. Round window N. Vestibule
tube (auditory tube)
C. Cochlea G. Oval window K. Semicircular canals
D. Endolymph H. Perilymph L. Stirrup (stapes)
 Chapter 8 Special Senses  171

_____ 1. _____ 2. _____ 3. Structures composing the outer ear

_____ 4. _____ 5. _____ 6. Structures composing the bony or osseous labyrinth
_____ 7. _____ 8. _____ 9. Collectively called the ossicles
_____ 10. _____ 11. Ear structures not involved with hearing
_____ 12. Allows pressure in the middle ear to be equalized with the
atmospheric pressure
_____ 13. Vibrates as sound waves hit it; transmits the vibrations to the ossicles
_____ 14. Contains the organ of Corti
_____ 15. Connects the nasopharynx and the middle ear
_____ 16. _____ 17. Contain receptors for the sense of equilibrium
_____ 18. Transmits the vibrations from the stirrup to the fluid in the inner ear
_____ 19. Fluid that bathes the sensory receptors of the inner ear
_____ 20. Fluid contained within the osseous labyrinth, which bathes the
membranous labyrinth
16. Figure 8–3 is a diagram of the ear.
(A) Use anatomical terms (as needed) from the key choices in Exercise 15 to
correctly identify all structures in the figure provided with leader lines.
(B) Color: External ear structures yellow; ossicles red; equilibrium areas of
the inner ear green; and internal ear structures involved with hearing blue.

Figure 8–3