Active Science

Revision Guide
10 Sensing the Environment

10.1 Senses, sense organs and the brain

(Book 2B, pp. 94–98)

A. Stimuli, senses and sense organs

 Living things find food, shelters and mates, and avoid dangers by responding to

changes in the surroundings. It is a (1) function of living

things.

 We have sense (2) to detect various changes in our

surroundings. Such changes are called (3) .

 We can produce different (4) when stimuli are detected.

Some examples are given below:

Sense organ Stimulus detected Sense produced

eye light sight

ear sound hearing

nose chemicals in air smell

tongue chemicals in food taste

touch, pain, pressure,
skin texture, temperature
heat and cold

stimulus 刺激

sense organ 感覺器官

sense 感覺

texture 質感

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B. Sense organs and the brain

 Sense organs and the brain work together in the following ways:

 (5) in sense organs detect stimuli and produce signals.

The signals are sent through (6) to the brain.

 The brain interprets the signals and produces senses.

 The brain is the (7) centre of our body. Besides producing

senses, the brain analyses and makes decisions, and sends signals to instruct

different body parts to make (8) .

 The above process can be summarized as follows:

signals signals
sense body
stimuli brain responses
organs parts

brain 腦

sensory cell 感官細胞

receptor 感受器

nerve 神經線

interpret 分析

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Revision Guide (Ch. 10)

10.2 Sight
(Book 2B, pp. 99–130)

A. How is the structure of our eyes?

 Our eye consists of various parts, including the sclera, cornea, iris, pupil, lens and

retina.

 The eyeball is connected with an (9) and eye muscles.

jelly-like fluid
（凝膠狀液體）
lens（晶狀體）
retina（視網膜）
water-like fluid
（水狀液體）

cornea
（角膜） yellow spot
（黃點）
pupil
（瞳孔）

iris optic nerve

（虹膜） （視神經）
blind spot
muscles （盲點）

sclera（鞏膜）

 The functions of the main parts of the eye are shown below:

Part of the eye Function

sclera protects the eyeball, and keeps its shape

cornea allows light to enter, and helps bend light

iris controls the size of the pupil

pupil allows light to enter

lens bends and focuses light onto the retina

contains light receptors that detect light and produce
retina
signals
optic nerve carries signals to the brain

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B. How do we see?

 The process of how the sense of sight occurs:

1. Light rays 2. The cornea bends

3. Light rays pass
from an the light rays to
through the pupil.
object help focus.

6. (10)
5. An image is 4. The lens bends the light
formed on rays and focuses them
are stimulated to
the retina. onto the retina.
produce signals.

7. The optic nerve 8. The brain interprets the

carries signals to signals and produces a sense
the brain. of (11) .

 (extension) The lens’ (12) can be adjusted, so the light from

objects at different (13) can be focused sharply on the retina.

Focusing light from a far object Focusing light from a near object

light from a
light from a
far object
near object

lens becomes
thicker
lens becomes muscle light focused on the
thinner relaxed retina to form a muscle light focused on the
sharp image contracted retina to form a
sharp image

sight 視覺

eyeball 眼球

eye muscle 眼球肌肉

focus 聚焦

light receptor 光感受器

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 The (14) controls the size of the pupil, and the amount of light

entering the eye.

Under bright light Under dim light

Size of the pupil becomes smaller becomes larger

Amount of light
less more
entering the eyes

protecting the eyes from allowing us to see things

Purpose
damages by strong light clearly

 (extension) There are two types of light receptors on the retina:

 (15) work well in bright light and detect colours, and

sharp images are produced.

 (16) work well in dim light and do not detect colours,

and the images produced are less sharp.

rod

cone

C. What are the limitations of our eyes?

 We cannot see objects clearly if they are too far away, too near or too small.

 We can extend our vision by using suitable (17) . Some

examples are given below:

Helping us see things
that are too small
Helping us see things
that are too far away
Instruments
magnifying glass, light microscope,
electron microscope
binoculars, telescope, space telescope
cone 視錐細胞

 The light focused on the (18) gives no sense of sight. rod 視桿細胞

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D. What defects or diseases may occur to our eyes?

 (extension) Some common eye defects or diseases are shown below:

Eye defect or
Vision problem Cause Correction
disease
The eyeball is too long, or Wear (21)
the lens is too thick. Images lens.
are focused
(20)
(19) cannot see far the retina.
objects clearly

The eyeball is too long, or Wear (24)

the lens is too thin. Images lens.
are focused
(23)
cannot see
(22) the retina.
near objects
clearly

(25) The (26) Replace the lens with an

cloudy vision
becomes cloudy. artificial lens.

The surface of the

(27) vision distorted Wear appropriate glasses or
(28) or the
or blurred contact lenses.
lens is uneven.

cannot Defects in or absence of

(29) distinguish some kinds of
No correction or cure
between (30) on the
certain colours retina.

short sight 近視 cataract 白內障

concave lens 凹透鏡 astigmatism 散光

long sight 遠視 contact lens 隱形眼鏡

convex lens 凸透鏡 colour blindness 色盲

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 Various ways to protect our eyes:

 Read under enough light. Keep good posture and enough distance when

reading.

 Rest the eyes after reading or using a computer or a phone for every

30 minutes.

 Have regular eye checks.

 Have enough sleep, a balanced diet and regular outdoor activities.

 Keep good personal hygiene.

 Wear sunglasses with UV protection under strong sunlight.

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Revision Guide (Ch. 10)

10.3 Hearing
(Book 2B, pp. 131–153)

A. Some properties of sound

 Sound is produced by (31) of objects.

 The (32) of sound is related to the strength of vibration.

1. The loudness of sound is measured in (33) (dB). It can be

measured using a (34) .

2. The stronger the vibration, the louder the sound will be.

 The (35) of sound is related to the frequency of vibration.

1. The frequency of vibration is measured in (36) (Hz).

2. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch will be.

B. How does sound travel?

 Sound can only travel in a (37) , such as a solid, a liquid or a

gas, but not in a (38) .

C. How do we hear?

 The human ear is divided into the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear.

ear bones
semi-circular canals（半規管）
（聽骨）

auditory nerve
ear canal
（聽神經）
（聽道） hearing 聽覺

loudness 音量

ear flap cochlea decibel 分貝

（耳廓） （耳蝸）
decibel meter 分貝計

pitch 音調

vibration 振動
ear drum（耳膜）
frequency 頻率

outer ear middle ear inner ear hertz 赫茲

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 The process of how the sense of hearing occurs:

1. Ear flap collects air 3. Air vibration causes

2. Ear canal allows air
vibration (sound) and ear drum to vibrate,
vibration to travel to
directs it into the ear which causes ear
the middle ear.
canal. bones to vibrate.

6. (39) in 5. The ear bones’ 4. Ear bones enlarge the

the cochlea are vibration causes the vibration and
stimulated to produce liquid inside the transmit it to the
signals. cochlea to vibrate. inner ear.

8. The brain interprets

7. The auditory nerve
the signals and
transmits the signals
produces a sense of
to the brain.
(40) .

D. What are the limitations of our ears?

 We can only hear sounds within our (41) range.

 We cannot hear some sounds if they are too soft or if the surroundings are too

noisy.

E. How does noise affect our hearing?

 If a sound is unpleasant or harmful to us, we call it (42) .

 Long-term exposure to noise can cause (43) and hearing loss.

 Hearing loss is usually permanent and has no cure. It usually occurs

(44) .

sound receptor
聽覺感受器
audible frequency range
聽頻範圍

noise 噪音

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 Various ways to protect our ears:

 Listen to music with an earphone with a medium volume at no more than

one hour a day.

 Wear ear plugs or cover the ears in places with loud noises.

 Avoid staying at a place with loud noises for a long time.

 Go to see the doctor to have a hearing check if you have some signs of

hearing loss.

ear plug 耳塞

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10.4 Smell and taste (extension)

(Book 2B, pp. 154–164)

A. How do we smell?

 The process of how the sense of smell occurs:

1. Chemicals are given 2. The chemicals enter 3. The chemicals

off by various things our nose when we dissolve in the moist
to air. breathe in air. layer inside the nose.

6. The brain interprets 4. (45)

5. The nerve transmits
the signals and inside the nose are
the signals to the
produces a sense of stimulated to produce
brain.
(46) . signals.

B. How do we taste?

 On our tongue, there are taste receptors that can detect various chemicals in

foods and drinks.

taste
taste receptor
bud

smell 嗅覺

smell receptor 嗅覺感受器

taste 味覺

taste receptor 味覺感受器

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 The process of how the sense of taste occurs:

2. (47)
1. Chemicals in food
in the taste buds are 3. The nerve transmits
dissolve in the saliva
stimulated to produce signals to the brain.
inside our mouth.
signals.

4. The brain interprets

the signals and
produces a sense of
(48) .

C. Relationship between smell and taste

 Smell and taste together give the (49) of food and drinks.

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10.5 Senses related to the skin (extension)

(Book 2B, pp. 165–171)

A. How does our skin detect stimuli?

 Our skin has different kinds of (50) for detecting

touch, pressure, heat, cold and pain.

 The process of detecting stimuli by the skin:

2. The related receptors

1. The skin is in contact 3. The nerve transmits
are stimulated to
with a stimulus. signals to the brain.
produce signals.

4. The brain interprets

the signals and
produces the related
sense.

B. How sensitive is our skin?

 Different parts of our skin may have different (51) . The

denser the receptors, the more sensitive they will be.

 The most sensitive parts are the fingertips and lips.

 Our skin is not completely reliable in sensing hotness/coldness.

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Revision Guide (Ch. 10)

10.6 The brain and our senses

(Book 2B, pp. 172–184)

A. How does our brain work?

 (extension) Our brain has three major parts:

 Cerebrum — carries out (52) function,

(53) function and (54) .

 Cerebellum — coordinates our muscle activities cerebrum

and helps our body keep

(55) .
cerebellum

 Medulla — controls our (56)

medulla
and breathing.

B. How do we keep our body balance? (extension)

 Our cerebellum keeps our body balance by:

1. interpreting signals from receptors in our (57) ,

(58) , (59) and

(60) ;

2. integrating the information;

3. instructing muscles to work.

C. Are our senses always reliable?

cerebrum 大腦
 Our brain may make mistakes when interpreting the signals from sense organs, cerebellum 小腦

leading to (61) . medulla 延腦

sensory function
感覺功能
 Different kinds of information received at the same time may cause conflicts in
motor function 運動功能
our brain functions. coordination 協調

joint 關節

illusion 錯覺

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D. How can drugs and other harmful substances

affect our brain?

 Drugs affect the (62) function of the brain. So, drug takers’

behaviour may be harmful to themselves and others.

 In the long term, drug takers will become (63) , and will have

serious brain damages.

 Inhaling solvents can also cause serious brain damages.

drug 毒品

addicted 上癮

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Revision Guide (Ch. 10)

Answers
10.1
1 vital 2 organs 3 stimuli 4 senses
5 Receptors/Sensory cells 6 nerves 7 control 8 responses

10.2
9 optic nerve 8 Light receptors 9 sight 10 thickness
11 distances 12 iris 13 Cones 14 Rods
15 instruments 16 blind spot 17 Short sight 18 in front of
19 concave 20 Long sight 21 behind 22 convex
25 Cataracts 26 lens 27 Astigmatism 28 cornea
29 Colour blindness 30 cones

10.3
31 vibration 32 loudness 33 decibels 23 decibel meter
35 pitch 36 hertz 37 medium 24 vacuum
39 Sound receptors 40 hearing 41 audible frequency 42 noise
43 stress 44 gradually

10.4
45 Smell receptors 46 smell 47 Taste receptors 48 taste
49 flavour

10.5
50 skin 51 sensitivity

10.6
52 sensory 53 motor 54 coordination 55 balance
56 heartbeat 57 eyes 58 ears 59 joints
60 muscles 61 illusions 62 sensory 63 addicted

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