Review Nikki's homework...
Learn about the cranial nerves and their functions...
Begin discussion of the anatomy and physiology of the ear..Today we began with Nikki's homework. She did an excellent job with "birdbrain" and the crossword puzzle. She pointed out some similarities and differences between the bird and the human brain. Her drawing led us to focus on the structure and function of the ear later in the session.
After the homework we talked about the cranial nerves. We saw how, like other nerves in the body, they occur on both sides...that is, they are paired. We talked about the functions of the 12 cranial nerves, saw that some have motor and some have sensory functions (some have both) and some have autonomic functions (like the vagus nerve).
Then we proceeded to outline the different parts of the ear (outer, middle, and inner), and the functions of those parts.
Next week we will focus more on how the structure of the ear is uniquely adapted for its function, and then we will move on to the eye and examine its structure and function in the same way.