SPECIAL

SENSES
By: Dr. Maryam Naveed
TOPICS TO BE COVERED
 Eye: optic nerve, optic chiasma, accommodation reflex, physiology
of site.
 Nose: physiology of the olfactory nerve.
 Tongue: physiology of taste, taste buds, physiology of speech.
 Ear: functions, physiology of hearing and balance
EYE: OPTIC NERVE AND OPTIC
CHIASMA:
 Optic nerve: It is the 2nd cranial nerve that is formed by the
axons of the ganglionic cells. It leaves the eye through the
optic disc and is a sensory nerve for the vision
 Optic chiasma: Medial fibers of each optic nerve cross the
midline and join the uncrossed lateral fibers of opposite
side, to form the optic tract. This area of crossing of the
optic nerve fibers is called optic chiasma.
ACCOMODATION REFLEX:
 Accommodation is a reflex
action. When a person looks at a
near object after seeing a far .
object, three adjustments are
made in the eyeballs:
 Changes during accommodation
reflex are:
 a. Constriction of pupil
 b. Convergence of eyeball
 c. Increase in anterior curvature
of lens
PHYSIOLOGY OF SIGHT:
PHYSIOLOGY OF SIGHT:
 2 main components are involved in the image formation or
visual pathway.
 Optic and neural components
 Optic: Iris, cornea and lens
 Lens and cornea refract the light. Iris- pigmented layer
that gives eye color (contracts to adjust the size of the
pupil- regulates entry of light into the eye)
 Neural: retina and optic nerve.
 Retina is light sensitive. Contains receptor cells (photoreceptors)
 Rods: Detect dim light and give night vision. Less resolution.
 Cones :Detect colors and activated in bright daylight. High resolution.
 Signals leave the retina toward the brain through the optic nerve
 2.SMELL: PHYSIOLOGY OF
OLFACTORY NERVE:
·Olfactory receptors(1st order neurons) are in the
roof of the nasal cavity
·Neurons with long cilia
·Chemicals must be dissolved in mucus for
detection and are then bound with receptors
in cilia.
·Here, the axons synapse with dendrites of
mitral cells(2nd order neurons)
·Then olfactory tract is formed.
PHYSIOLOGY OF OLFACTORY
NERVE:
·Impulses are transmitted via the olfactory nerve
·Interpretation of smells is made in the cortex (olfactory area of
temporal lobe)
3. TASTE: LOCATION OF TASTE
BUDS:
Taste buds house the receptor organs
·

· Location of taste buds

· Most are on the tongue
· Soft palate
· Cheeks.
· The tongue is covered with projections
called papillae
· Filiform papillae – sharp with no taste buds
· Fungifiorm papillae – rounded with taste
buds
· Circumvallate papillae – large papillae with
taste buds
· Taste buds are found on the sides of
papillae
· Sweet receptors
· Sugars
· Saccharine  Impulses are carried to the gustatory
complex (pareital lobe) by several
· Some amino acids cranial nerves because taste buds are
· Sour receptors found in different areas
 Facial nerve
· Acids
 Glossopharyngeal nerve
· Bitter receptors
 Vagus nerve
· Alkaloids
· Salty receptors
· Metal ions
· Umami
· ( meats)
PHYSIOLOGY OF SPEECH:
 the expression of thoughts by production of articulate sound, bearing a definite
meaning.
 Central speech apparatus consists of higher centers in CNS.
 Peripheral speech apparatus includes larynx, pharynx, mouth, nasal cavities,
tongue and lips.
 Development of speech involves integration of some important areas of
cerebral cortex:
 1. Auditory and visual cortices( to listen to words or see sign language)
 2. Wernicke area( to understand spee ch)
 3. Broca area ( speech synthesis)
 4. Motor area. ( activation of peripheral speech apparatus)
4.THE EAR: IS DIVIDED
INTO THREE AREAS:

Outer
(external)
ear

Middle
ear

Inner
ear
EAR: FUNCTIONS OF INTERNAL,
MIDDLE AND EXTERNAL EAR:
 External: The external ear is involved in hearing only.
 It directs the sound waves towards tympanic membrane.
 Middle: The tympanic membrane(eardrum) acts as a resonator that
reproduces the vibration of sound waves.
 Vibrations set up in tympanic membrane are transmitted through
the auditory ossicles(bones), causing their to and fro movement.
 Inner: ( contains cochlea, vestibule and semicircular canals)
 Converts the mechanical sound waves to neural impulses that can
be recognized by the brain for hearing and balance.
PHYSIOLOGY OF HEARING:
· Vibrations from sound waves go to cochlea( the organ of hearing)
and pass through the endolymph fluid filling the membranous
labyrinth in the cochlear duct.
· Hair cells inside the cochlea are bent by the membrane.

· An action potential starts in the cochlear nerve

· The signal is transmitted to the midbrain (for auditory reflexes and

then directed to the auditory cortex of the temporal lobe)
PHYSIOLOGY OF BALANCE:
 The vestibular apparatus in ear is responsible for this as it detects
changes in head position and make you aware of it. So that
equilibrium is reestablished.
 It detects changes in the rate of motion and sends them to the brain
via the vestibular nerve.
 The information leads to reflex pathways that compensate for the
changes by causing movements in the body parts
 The components are the 3 semicircular canals that sense rotational
movements and 2 otholitic organs that sense head position
THANK
YOU!