CHAPTER 1 ~ THE WORLD THROUGH OUR

SENSES
1.1 Sensory Organs and the Nervous Pathway

Sensory
organs
Skin
Nose
Tongue

Stimulus detected
Touch, pain, heat, cold,
pressure
Chemicals
Chemicals

Ear

Sound

Eye

Light

Main function
Organ for touch
Organ for smell
Organ for taste
Organ for
hearing
Organ for sight

1.2 The Sensory Organs of Touch, Smell and Taste

The Skin
Stimuli receptors nervous
impulses

Sensation is nervous brain

(impulses
Pathway for touch

The
skin are
epidermis

factors that
sensitive to the
thickness of
and numbers of
receptors.

Epidermis receptors, touch receptor pain receptor.

Dermis receptors, heat receptor cold
receptor.

pressure receptor.
The Nose

Chemical

sensory
substances

dissolve

stimulate

in muscle

cells

Pathway for smell

The Tongue
Food dissolves dissolved food
nervous
In saliva
stimulates
impulses
taste buds

Taste is

Pathway for taste

1.3 The Sensory Organ of Hearing

The ear is the organ of hearing.

Sound

soun
d

soun
d

vibratio
ns

Auditor
y
cannal

Pinn
a

Brain for
identificati
on of
sound

impuls
e

Ear
ossicle
s

Eardru
m

Audito
ry
nerve

impuls
e

Cochle
a

vibratio
ns
vibratio
ns

Oval
window

The pathway for hearing

Ponteng Class CC Dota O2 jam Counter.
Amituofo.

1.4 The Sensory Organ of Sight

The eye

Parts of the Eye and Their Functions

Part

Functions

Sclerotic coat
(sclera)
Choroid
Retina
Yellow spot
Optic nerve

Blind spot

Protects the eye and maintains its shape

Absorbs light to prevent reflection in the eyeball
Send impulses to the brain when it is stimulated by
an image formed on it
A spot on the retina which is most sensitive to light
Carries impulses from the retina to the brain for
interpretation

Lens

Not sensitive to light or image which falls on it

Transmits light and prevents the eyeball from
collapsing
Focuses light and forms an image on the retina

Aqueous humour

Nourishes and cools the eye

Pupil

Permits the entry of light into the eye

Iris

Controls the size of the pupil for the entry of light

Cornea
Suspensory
ligament
Ciliary muscle

Helps to focus an image on the retina

Vitreous humour

Holds the eye lens in position

Controls the thickness of the lens for focusing the
image.

Light
ligh
t

ligh
t

ligh
t

ligh
t

impuls
e

Corne
a

Brain

ligh
t

impuls
e

The pathway for sight

Aqueou
s
Pupil
humour

Optic
nerve

Retina

Lens

Vitreou
s
humour

 LV CAP ROB,.

1.5 Light and Sight

1. This causes the formation of shadows and eclipses of the sun and the
moon.
2. The image in a plane mirror is due to the mirror reflecting light from the
object to the observe.
the angle of reflection = the angle of
Refraction of Light
1. The light is refracted towards the normal when it passes from a less
dense medium to a denser medium, e.g from air to glass.
2. The light is refracted away from the normal when it passes from a
denser medium to a less dense medium, e.g from glass to air.

Short-sightedness and Long-sightedness

Short-sightedness

A distant object cannot be seen

clearly because the image is
focused in front the retina.
This is because the eye lens is
too thick or the eyeball is too
long.
It is corrected by using a
concave lens to diverge the rays
of light on the retina.

Long-sightedness

A near object cannot be seen

clearly because the image is
focused behind the retina.
This is because the eye lens is
too thin or the eyeball is too
short.
it is corrected by using a convex
lens to converge the rays of light
on the retina.

Stereoscopic Vision and Monocular Vision

Stereoscopic vision

At the front of the head

Small
Large area of
overlapping fields
Can estimate
distance
accurately
See things in three
dimensions
Tigers, owls, human
beings

Differences
Location of the eyes
Size of the field of
vision
Overlapping fields of
vision

Importance of vision

Examples

Monocular vision

One on each side of the

head
Very large
Small area or no
overlapping area
Can see predators
in all directions
Cannot judge
distance
accurately
Pigeons, rabbits, cows,
fish

1.6 Sound and Hearing

Production and Transmission of Sound
1. Sound is produced by vibrations.
2. When a sound is produced, kinetic energy is changed into sound
energy.
3. Sound can travel through solids, liquids and gases, but cannot travel
through a vacuum.
Stereophonic Hearing
1. Stereophonic hearing is hearing with both our ears.

Defects of Hearing
1. Our ears can only hear sounds which have a frequency of about 20 Hz to
20 000 Hz.
2. Some people use hearing aids such as earphones and stethoscopes.

1.7 Responses to Stimuli by Plants

Phototropism
1. Shoots grow towards light,
showing positive
phototropism.
2. Roots grow away from light,
showing negative
phototropism.
Hydrotropism
1. Roots grow towards water,
showing positive
hydrotropism.
2. Shoots grow away from water,
showing negative
hydrotropism.
Geotropism
1. Shoots grow upwards against
gravity, showing negative
geotropism.
2. Roots grow downwards
towards gravity, showing
positive geotropism.

Thigmotropism
1. Some plants with soft stems
climb up a support when they
touch it.
2. This response to touch by
plants is called thigmotropism.
Nastic movement / Seismonastic
reponse
1. The leaves of the mimosa plant
close up when they are
touched.
2. This response to touch is
called a nastic movement or a
seismonastic response.
3. A seismonastic response helps
to protect the plant from
injury.