Special Senses: The Eyes and Ears
Chapter 11
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Overview of Structures, Combining Forms,
and Functions of the Eyes and Ears
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Eyes (and Vison)
• Primary Function
– Receptor organs for the sense of sight
• Related Word Parts (Combining Forms)
– opt/i, opt/o, optic/o
– ophthalm/o
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Structures of the Eyes
• Adnexa: structures outside the eyeball
– Orbit, eye muscles, eyelids, eyelashes,
conjunctiva, lacrimal apparatus
• Eyeball: also known as the globe
(continues)
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© Cengage Learning
Structures of the Eyes
(continues)
© 2015, Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
© Cengage Learning
Structures of the Eyes
(continues)
© 2015, Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
© Cengage Learning
Structures of the Eyes
(continues)
© 2015, Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
© Cengage Learning
Structures of the Eyes
© 2015, Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Lacrimal Apparatus
• Primary Function
– Produces, stores, and removes tears
• Related Word Parts (Combining Forms)
– dacryocyst/o
– lacrim/o
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Iris
• Primary Function
– Controls the amount of light entering the eye
• Related Word Parts (Combining Forms)
– ir/i, ir/o
– irid/o
– irit/o
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Lens
• Primary Function
– Focuses rays of light on the retina
• Related Word Parts (Combining Forms)
– phac/o
– phak/o
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Retina
• Primary Functions
– Converts light images into electrical impulses and
transmits them to the brain
• Related Word Parts (Combining Forms)
– retin/o
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Ears (Hearing and Sound)
• Primary Function
– Receptor organs for the sense of hearing
– Help to maintain balance
• Related Word Parts (Combining Forms)
– acous/o, acoust/o
– audi/o, audit/o
– ot/o
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© Cengage Learning
Structures of the Ears
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Outer Ear
• Primary Function
– Transmits sound waves to the middle ear
• Related Word Parts (Combining Forms)
– pinn/i
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Middle Ear
• Primary Function
– Transmits sound waves to the inner ear
• Related Word Parts (Combining Forms)
– myring/o
– tympan/o
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Inner Ear
• Primary Function
– Receives sound vibrations and transmits them to
the brain
• Related Word Parts (Combining Forms)
– labyrinth/o
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Key Word Parts and Definitions
• blephar/o
– eyelid
• -cusis
– hearing
• irid/o
– iris, colored part of eye
• kerat/o
– horny, hard, cornea
(continues)
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Key Word Parts and Definitions
• myring/o
– tympanic membrane, eardrum
• ophthalm/o
– eye, vision
• -opia
– vision condition
• opt/o
– eye, vision
(continues)
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Key Word Parts and Definitions
• ot/o
– ear, hearing
• phak/o
– lens of eye
• presby/o
– old age
• retin/o
– retina, net
(continues)
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Key Word Parts and Definitions
• scler/o
– sclera, white of eye, hard
• trop/o
– turn, change
• tympan/o
– tympanic membrane, eardrum
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Questions
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Question
The smallest bone in the body is the stapes, or
stirrup bone, of the middle ear.
True or False?
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Question
A ringing, buzzing, or roaring sound in one or
both ears is called:
a. tinnitus
b. labyrinthitis
c. tintinitus
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Question
Men are how many times more likely to be
color-blind than women?
a. 2
b. 10
c. 5
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Question
If not treated promptly, open-angle glaucoma
can cause blindness in as little as 2 days.
True or False?
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