SENSE, SENSATION, & TYPES OF SENSORY RECEPTORS

PERCEPTION
● Sense is the ability to
perceive stimuli. Sensation is
the conscious or
subconscious awareness of
changes in the external or
internal environment.
Perception is the conscious
interpretation of sensations.
" Perception is primarily a function
of the cerebral cortex. We have no
perception of some sensory
information because it never
reaches the cerebral cortex."
1.MECHANORECEPTORS respond
to mechanical stimuli, such as the
bending or stretching of receptors.
2.CHEMORECEPTORS respond to
chemicals, such as odor molecules.
3.PHOTORECEPTORS respond to
light
4.THERMORECEPTORS respond to
temperature changes.
5.NOCICEPTORS respond to stimuli
that result in the sensation of pain.
CLASSIFICATION OF SENSES

EXAMPLE

SENSORY RECEPTORS
● Sensory receptors are sensory
PROCESS OF STIMULATION
nerve endings or specialized
cells capable of responding to
stimuli by developing action
potentials
● Selectivity is the
characteristic of a sensory
receptor to respond to a
specific stimuli.
 ● the skull that surrounds the
eye and offers protection to
the eye.

2.

● There are three layers that

comprise the eye wall:
1. Fibrous tunic – outermost
layer
2. Vascular tunic – intermediate
MAJOR FEATURES OF EYES AND
layer
IT'S FUNCTION
3. Nervous tunic – innermost
layer

Fibrous tunic is consist of sclera and

cornea.
ANATOMY OF THE EYE a.Sclera
● a connective tissue layer
● Ophthalmology is the science ● a.k.a. “the white of the eye”
that deals with the eyes and protect internal eye
their disorders. structures
● provide attachment for
1.
muscles
● Eyeball is a hollow, fluid-filled
b. Cornea
sphere. The eye is 1 inch (2.5
cm) in diameter and is ● a transparent structure that
located in the anterior bends, or refracts, the
portion of the orbit. entering light.
● The orbit is the bony
structure of
Vascular tunic contains blood Nervous tunic consists of the retina
vessels of the eye. It has three which is composed of two layers.
components. a.Pigmented retina the outermost
a.Choroid layer

● thin structure of vascular ● prevent reflection of light,

network that has melanin to function together with the
absorb light and prevent choroid
reflection b.Sensory retina
b.Ciliary body ● the innermost layer
● a contains ciliary muscles, a ● contains photoreceptor cells,
group of smooth muscles, called rods and cones
that holds the lens (a flexible,
biconvex, transparent disc) in
place through the suspensory
ligaments produces the
aqueous humor

c.Iris
● the colored part of the eye
control the diameter of the
-Vitamin A is important in the
pupil (the opening of the eye
production of Rhodopsin, a protein
where light passes through).
that is sensitive to light and is
important in seeing in the dark.
Hence, low amount of vitamin A
3.
● Optic disc is a creamy-pink to
white depressed area in the
retina. The optic nerve enters
and exits the eyeball at this
area.
● The optic disc is also known
as the “blind spot” because it
contains only nerve fibers,
lacks photoreceptor cells, and
is insensitive to light.
4.
● Macula lutea is a small, oval,
yellowishpink area located
laterally and temporally to the
optic disc.
● The central depressed part of
the macula is the fovea
centralis, the area of sharpest
and keenest vision, where
most acute vision occurs.
● The functions of macula lutea
include: central vision, night
andcolor vision, and motion
detection.
5.
● Vitreous humor, or vitreous
alone, is a gel- like substance
that maintains the shape of
the eye.
● It provides additional
physical support to the retina
6.
● Vitreous body or chamber
contains a gelatinous
substance that occupies
chamber, the space between
the lens and the retina.
● It also transmits light and
gives the shape to the
posterior eye.
7.
The Aqueous chamber is divided
into two:
● the anterior chamber, which
lies between the cornea and
the iris and
● the posterior chamber that
lies, between the iris and the
lens.
8.
● Aqueous humor is a clear,
watery fluid that fills the
anterior and posterior
chambers of the eye.
● It is produced by the ciliary
bodies (processes), and the
fluid drains into the canal of
Schlemm.
9.
● Canal of Schlemm is the
passageway that extends
completely around the eye; it
permits fluid to drain out of
the eye into the systemic
circulation so that a constant
 intraocular pressure (IOP) is
maintained.

10.

● Lens is a transparent convex

structure behind the iris and
in front of the vitreous body
● The lens bends rays of light so
that the light falls on the
retina. The curve of the lens
changes to focus on near or
distant objects.
11.
● Conjunctivae: Thin,
transparent mucous
membranes of the eye that
line the posterior surface of
each eyelid, located over the
sclera.
12.
● Lacrimal gland: Produces
tears that are drained through
the punctum into the lacrimal
duct and sac.
13.
● Eye muscles do not work
independently; each muscle
works with the muscle that
produces the opposite
movement.
FUNCTION OF THE EYE
1.Light Refraction
● When light passes through a
concave or flattened lens, the
light bends outward (diverge)
● When light passes through a
convex or rounded lens, the
light bends inward
(converge)
● Focusing causes the light rays
to converge toward the
crossing point or the “Focal
Point” (FP).
 ● The focal point in the eye
occurs just anterior to the
retina, and the tiny image that
is focused on the retina is
inverted compared to the
actual object
2. Focusing image on the retina
● Influenced by the shape of
the sense
● Accommodation is the ability
of the eye to focus on an
object irrelevant of its
distance.
● When looking at a distant
(>20 feet) object, the ciliary
muscles relaxes; thus, the
suspensory ligaments
maintains its tension against
the lens, keeping it flat.
● When looking at a near (<20
feet) object, the ciliary
muscles contracts, pulling the
ciliary body towards the lens,
reducing the tension at the
suspensory ligaments; hence,
allowing the lens to assume a
rounded shape
FUNCTION OF THE EYE
● The visual pathway explains
how visual signals reach the
brain. Optic nerves provide
output from the retina to the
brain.
● Optic chiasm (crossover) is
where ‘some’ optic nerves
cross to the other side of the
brain.
● After passing the chiasm, the
optic nerve is now part of the
optic tract which enters the
brain and most of them
terminate in the lateral
geniculate nucleus of the
thalamus.
● At this point, the optic tract
synapses with neurons whose
axons form the optic
radiations, which project to
the primary visual areas in the
occipital lobes of the cerebral
cortex, and visual perception
begins.
 ANATOMY OF THE EAR
-Otorhinolaryngology is the science
that deals with the ears, nose,
pharynx (throat), and larynx (voice
box) and their disorders.
THREE MAIN DIVISION OF THE
EAR
temporal bone and leads to
the eardrum.
c. Tympanic membrane
● a.k.a. “eardrum”, is a thin,
semitransparent partition
between the external
auditory canal and middle
ear. Sound waves causes it to
vibrate.

ANATOMY OF THE MIDDLE EAR

2.

Middle ear is consist of the auditory

tube and the auditory ossicles.
a. Auditory ossicles – conduct
sound vibrations from the outer ear
ANATOMY OF THE EXTERNAL EAR to the central hearing apparatus in
1. the inner ear.

External ear is composed of the ● The malleus (hammer) is

auricle, external auditory canal, and connected to the ear drum
eardrum. and transmit vibrations to the
incus.
a. Auricle
● The incus
● a.k.a. “pinna”, is a flap of (advil)
elastic cartilage shaped like articulates
the flared end of a trumpet with the head
and covered by skin. The rim of the stapes.
is called helix while the ● The base or
inferior part is termed as footplate of
lobule. the stapes
b. External AC (stirrup) fits
into the oval
● curved tube about 2.5 cm (1 window.
inch) long that lies in the
 2.Vestibule – an oval central portion
of the bony labyrinth responsible
for balance.

3.Cochlea – a snail-shaped organ

that contains the organ of Corti and
is responsible for hearing.

b. Membranous labyrinth –
contains (endolymph) houses the
receptors for hearing and
equilibrium.

b.Auditory tube The cochlear branch of the CN 8

transmits neuro-impulses from the
● equalizes the air pressure
cochlea to the brain, where they are
between the middle ear and
interpreted as sound.
the external environment to
prevent rupturing of the ear
drum.

ANATOMY OF THE INTERNAL EAR

-The tensor tympani and stapedius
(the smallest skeletal muscle)
muscles protect the inner ear by
reducing the amplitude of loud
sounds.
-The cochlear branch of the CN 8
Internal ear is a.k.a. the labyrinth transmits neuro-impulses from the
and is consist of two divisions. cochlea to the brain, where they are
interpreted as sound.The vestibular
a. Bony labyrinth – divided into
branch maintains balance and
three areas: semicircular canals,
equilibrium .
vestibule, and cochlea.

1. Semicircular canal – contain fluid

(perilymph) and hair cells
connected to sensory nerve fibers of
the vestibular portion of the eighth
cranial nerve.
 TEST FOR VISUAL FUNCTION
SNELLEN EYE CHART
● Snellen
eye chart a tool
used to measure
distance vision
● The client
is positioned in
a well-lit spot 20
feet from the
chart and asked
to read the
smallest line that
he or she can
discern.
● Record
the result using the fraction
at the end of the last line
successfully read on the
chart.
● Normal visual acuity is 20/20.
ISHIHARA CHART
● Ishihara chart is used for
testing and consists of
numbers composed of
colored dots located within a
circle of colored dots.
● The test is sensitive for the
diagnosis of red-green
blindness but cannot detect
discrimination of blue.
TEST FOR HEARING FUNCTION
RINNE'S & WEBER'S TEST
● Tuning fork tests are used to
measure hearing on the basis
of air conduction or bone
conduction.
● It includes Rinne’s and
Weber’s test.
o The Weber’s test determines
whether the client has a
conductive or sensorineural
hearing loss.
o In conductive loss, the sound
travels toward the impaired
ear while in sensorineural
loss, the sound travels toward
the good ear
o The Rinne’s test also
determines whether the
client has a conductive or
sensorineural hearing loss
o Normally the sound is heard
twice as long by way of air
conduction (AC) (near the ear
canal) than by way of bone
conduction (BC) (at the
mastoid process)
● 2AC:1BC = Normal
● AC > BC, but not 2x =
Sensorineural HL
● AC = or < BC = Conductive
HL

COMMON EYE DISORDERS
LEGAL BLINDNESS
● Visual acuity of 20/200 or
worse
● When speaking to the client
who has limited sight or is
blind, the nurse should use a
normal tone of voice.
● Allow the client to touch
objects in the room. Instruct
the client in the use of the
cane for the blind
● Instruct the client that the
cane sweeps the ground
where the client’s foot will be
placed next to determine the
presence of obstacles
CATARACTS
● Opacity of the lens that can
progress to blindness
● Surgical removal of the lens, 1
eye at a time, is performed
and lens implantation will
follow to replace the it.
GLAUCOMA
● A group of ocular diseases
resulting in increased
intraocular pressure (IOP)
● Caused by inadequate
drainage of aqueous humor
from the canal of Schlemm or
overproduction of aqueous
humor.
● The condition damages the
optic nerve and can result in
blindness.
● Has two types: Primary Open-
Angle Glaucoma (POAC) and
Primary AngleClosure
Glaucoma (PACG)
TYPES OF GLAUCOMA
 REFRACTION DISORDER
● Hyperopia – farsightedness;
object is focused behind the
retina.
● Myopia – nearsightedness;
object is focus in front of the
retina.
● Astigmatism – irregularly
shaped lens causes distorted
images

COMMON EAR DISORDER

MENIERE’S SYNDROME/DISEASE
● A.k.a. endolymphatic hydrops
● Attributed to the imbalance
of the fluids in the inner ear
● Symptoms include: tinnitus,
vertigo, unilateral
sensorineural hearing loss