Deck 11: The Senses: the Sights and Sounds

Question 1

A 40-year-old male patient presents with complaints of tinnitus and vertigo. He complains that his hearing is getting progressively worse over the last three years, and he is having dizzy spells and nausea.
What part of the ear is affected and why?
__________________________________________________________________________________

Answer 1

Both tinnitus and vertigo are disease condition, associated with the inner ear. Tinnitus refers to the condition when a patient hears sounds, which are not really present in his/her surroundings. Vertigo is a condition when a patient feels a loss of balance and co-ordination of his/her body.
In Meniere's disease, the patient suffers from progressive loss of hearing, tinnitus and vertigo. The hair-like structures are responsible for receiving and conducting sound signals. These structures, along with the endolymph, the fluid in the inner ear, also help maintain body's equilibrium in space.
Therefore, it is the inner ear, which gets affected in this disease condition. The parts of the ear, which get affected in this disease, are located in the inner ear. This makes the inner ear susceptible to damage in Meniere's disease.

Question 2

Damage to the tympanic membrane can cause this kind of deafness.

A) nerve
B) conduction
C) membranous
D) all of the above

Answer 2

Tympanic membrane is a part of external ear. It is commonly known as the eardrum. It separates the external ear with the middle ear. A functional tympanic membrane is essential because it is the starting point of sound conduction. Damage to the tympanic membrane causes hearing problems in a patient.
Nerve related deafness in the ear occur if there is a damage in the cochlea. This kind of deafness is called sensorineural deafness. Cochlea is comprised of a fluid called endolymph and tiny hair-like receptors. These cochlear components work together to conduct the information to the brain via the auditory nerves.
Membranous deafness is not associated with the tympanic membrane. Although, it is a membrane structure, the loss of hearing due to damage to the tympanic membrane, is not called membranous deafness.
Hence, the options a, c and d are incorrect.
Any damage to the tympanic membrane results in inability to conduct the sound signal to the other parts of the ear. Hence, the deafness caused due to damage in the tympanic membrane is called conductive deafness.
Tympanic membrane vibrates when the sound signals reach it. Its vibrations result in the movement of the ossicles in the middle ear. Ossicles amplify the signal and conduct it to the inner ear. Hence, clearly, a rupture in the tympanic membrane would cause inefficient conduction of the sound.
Hence the correct answer is option
.

Question 3

A man with red/green color blindness is missing one type of ______________, a retinal cell.

Answer 3

Colour blindness is the condition when an individual has a different colour perception than the normal population. It is usually genetically inherited. Sometimes, it can also be caused due to physical or chemical damage to the eye. It is an X-linked recessive disorder. Therefore, more males than females are colour blind.
The retina in the eye has two types of photoreceptor cells. They are rod and cone cells. Rods help in perceiving black and white colour in dark conditions. Cones are responsible for vision during the day. They allow perception of bright colours and distinguishing between different colours.
There are three types of cone cells. Each type perceives different colours like, red, green and blue. Missing cone cells, responsible for perception of red and green colours cause inability to view these colours. Sometimes, colour blindness can also be caused due to a disrupted pathway of colour perception between the cones and the brain.
Hence, the given blank can be filled with
.

Question 4

Which condition is known as the "silent thief of sight" and why?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question 5

The incus is found in the

A) inner ear.
B) middle ear.
C) external ear.
D) region of South America.

Question 6

Choose the best answer:
The eye can differentiate _______________ shades of gray.

A) 50
B) 5
C) 500
D) 2

Question 7

Define adaptation in relation to temperature sensors. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question 8

Complete the following:
anvil _______________

Question 9

A 40-year-old male patient presents with complaints of tinnitus and vertigo. He complains that his hearing is getting progressively worse over the last three years, and he is having dizzy spells and nausea.
Describe the patient's complaints in your own words.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Question 10

Choose the best answer:
The _______________ is the colored portion of the eye that controls the opening, or _______________, where light passes through.

A) retina; pupil
B) pupil; iris
C) sclera; pupil
D) iris; pupil

Question 11

Which part of the body has the highest density of touch receptors?

A) fingers
B) forearm
C) back
D) buttocks

Question 12

The two functions of the auditory system are ______________ and ______________.

Question 13

Complete the following:
auricle _______________

Question 14

Complete the following:
stirrups _______________

Question 15

The part of the eye that allows for varying amounts of light onto the retina is the

A) lens.
B) humor.
C) iris.
D) optic nerve

Question 16

woman presents with pain in her upper right abdomen and back. What organ may be inflamed? ______________

Question 17

Complete the following:
A sense of your body moving through space or objects swirling around you is termed _______________.

Question 18

Differentiate between special and general senses. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question 19

What is the correct descending order for the media through which sound travels, with the most efficient conductor of sound listed first?

A) liquid, air, solid
B) solid, liquid, air
C) air, liquid, solid
D) they are all equal

Question 20

Choose the best answer:
Which of the following is not a layer of the eye?

A) photo optic
B) sclera
C) choroid
D) retina

Question 21

Trace the path of light rays from the world to the brain. Explain how the rays are focused.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question 22

Complete the following:
The structure that marks the end of the external ear and the beginning of the middle ear is called the

A) pinna.
B) hammer.
C) tympanic membrane.
D) labyrinth

Question 23

Choose the best answer:
This layer contains the actual sensory cells that respond to light.

A) choroid
B) retina
C) conjunctiva
D) sclera

Question 24

A 40-year-old male patient presents with complaints of tinnitus and vertigo. He complains that his hearing is getting progressively worse over the last three years, and he is having dizzy spells and nausea.
What possible disease is present?
__________________________________________________________________________________

Question 25

Complete the following:
earwax _______________

Question 26

The three ossicles of the ear are the ______________, ______________, and ______________.

Question 27

People who spend a lot of time in the sun are more likely to develop this eye disorder. ______________

Question 28

The photopigment structures responsible for the ability to see colors are the

A) cones.
B) rods.
C) iris.
D) pupil.

Question 29

Another word for the sense of taste is

A) olfactory.
B) vertigo.
C) mastication.
D) gustatory.

Question 30

What are the five basic tastes? How are taste and smell related?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question 31

Explain the journey of sound waves from the environment to the brain.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Question 32

Choose the best answer:
Which layer of the eye contains the iris and the pupil?

A) cornea
B) sclera
C) choroid
D) retina

Question 33

Choose the best answer:
These cells allow vision in low light.

A) cones
B) rods
C) iris cells
D) corneal cells

Question 34

Complete the following:
The structures of the ear that are important for balance are the

A) ceruminous glands.
B) incus, malleus, and stapes.
C) semicircular canals.
D) eustachian tubes.

Question 35

Complete the following:
malleus _______________