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Information about the external world is conveyed to the central nervous system (CNS) from sensory receptors. Chemoreceptive cells for the senses of taste and smell were discussed with the digestive and respiratory system (see Chapters 15 and 17, respectively) and the various mechanoreceptors that mediate the sense of touch were presented with the skin (see Chapter 18). This chapter describes the eye, both its photoreceptors and auxiliary structures, and the ear that mediates the senses of equilibrium and hearing via mechanoreceptors in the vestibulocochlear apparatus.
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EYES: THE PHOTORECEPTOR SYSTEM
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Eyes (Figure 23–1) are highly developed photosensitive organs for analyzing the form, intensity, and color of light reflected from objects and providing the sense of sight. Protected within the orbits of the skull which also contain adipose cushions, each eyeball consists externally of a tough, fibrous globe, which maintains an eye’s overall shape. Internally the eye contains transparent tissues that refract light to focus the image, a layer of photosensitive cells, and a system of neurons that collect, process, and transmit visual information to the brain.
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Each eye is composed of three concentric tunics or layers (Table 23–1):
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A tough external fibrous layer consisting of the sclera and the transparent cornea;
A middle vascular layer consisting of the choroid, ciliary body, and iris; and
An inner sensory layer, the retina, which communicates with the cerebrum through the posterior optic nerve (Figure 23–1).
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