SENSE ORGANS

SENSE ORGANS
Sensory receptors (receptors that perceive stimuli from the external

environment) can be grouped together and form the sense organs.
SMELL
Smell receptors or olfactory cells are chemoreceptors that are sensitive to
volatile or gaseous substances in the air.
Odours are sensations that are created in three stages:
- The volatile or gaseous substances in the air enter the nasal passages.
- The olfactory cells, located in the upper lining of the nasal passages, called
the olfactory mucosa, perceive the substances. This lining also contains
glands which secrete mucus. We can only smell substances if they are
dissolved in mucus and present in sufficient concentration.
- When the olfactory cells are stimulated, they send nerve impulses through the
olfactory nerve to the brain, which interprets the information and identifies
the smell.
SMELL
TOUCH
There are various kinds of touch receptors:
- thermoreceptors (detect heat and cold)

- mechanoreceptors (contact and pressure)
- nociceptors (perceive pain)
All these sensations constitute the sense of

touch. Touch receptors are located in the skin
but they are not distributed in a uniform manner.
Some parts are more sensitive than others.
When stimulated, touch receptors send nerve

impulses through different nerves to the brain,
where they are interpreted and identified.
TASTE
Taste receptors, known as gustatory cells, are
chemoreceptors which are sensitive to the
chemical substances of food dissolved in saliva.
Gustatory cells are located inside a series of

bulb-shaped structures called taste buds.
Taste buds are located on the palate, pharynx

and, mainly, the tongue, which contains a series
of small bumps called papillae.
Gustatory cells have sensory cilia that are

stimulated by the chemical substances in food.
They send nerve impulses through the gustatory
nerve to the brain, which interprets and identifies
tastes.
HEARING
The receptors in our ears are mechanoreceptors responsible for either hearing
or balance.
Hearing receptors, called auditory cells, and

are sensitive to vibrations in the air.
Balance receptors are called balance cells and are

sensitive to movement.
HEARING
The human ear is divided into: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear.
- The outer ear is formed by the visible ear or auricle and the ear canal
- The middle ear is made up of the eardrum and a chain of tiny bones
called the ossicles (malleus, incus and stapes), which link the eardrum to
the inner ear.
- The inner ear is formed by the cochlea, which contains the hearing
receptor cells, and the semicircular canals which house the balance cells.
All these structures are filled with fluid.
HEARING
HEARING
Sound waves enter the outer ear and reach the eardrum, which begins to vibrate.
This vibration is transmitted along the ossicles to the fluid inside the cochlea. The
movement of the fluid stimulates the hearing receptor cells which send nerve
impulses through the auditory or cochlear nerve to the brain, where they are
transformed into sounds.
BALANCE
The sensory balance cells are located in the semicircular canals and the
cavities found at their base. When we move, the fluid inside these structures also
moves and stimulates the balance cells, which send nerve impulses through the
vestibular nerve to the brain, which provides us with information about our
body´s position.
SIGHT
Sight receptors are located in the eyes and are photoreceptors that are
sensitive to variations in light intensity. They enable us to see.
The human eye has two parts: the eyeball and the auxiliary structures.
● The eyeball is a slightly flattened sphere filled with transparent fluids (the
aqueous and the vitreous humours). It has three layers:
- The sclera or outer layer (white). Its front part is transparent and is called the
cornea. The cornea has a thin protective membrane called the conjunctiva.
- The choroid or intermediate layer (darker, with many blood vessels). Its front
part contains the iris, which has an orifice in it, known as the pupil. The pupil
opens or closes depending on the amount of light reaching the eye. Behind the
iris is a lens that changes shape to focus the image received onto the retina.
- The retina is the internal layer. It contains two types of photoreceptors, rods
and cones.
● The auxiliary structures are the eyebrows, eyelids, eye muscles and lacrimal
glands. They protect the eyeball and enable it to move.
How our eyes work: sight
Light reaches the cornea, which directs it towards the pupil. The pupil opens
or closes depending on the intensity of the light at that particular moment.
The light then travels through the lens, which focuses it onto the retina. In the
retina, photoreceptor cells generate nerve impulses which they send through
the optic nerve to the brain, where they are converted into visual images.

SENSE ORGANS

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SENSE ORGANS

Sensory receptors (receptors that perceive stimuli from the external

Odours are sensations that are created in three stages:

- thermoreceptors (detect heat and cold)

All these sensations constitute the sense of

When stimulated, touch receptors send nerve

Gustatory cells are located inside a series of

Taste buds are located on the palate, pharynx

Gustatory cells have sensory cilia that are

Hearing receptors, called auditory cells, and

Balance receptors are called balance cells and are

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