Planet Earth and Its Environment A 5000-million year Journey

Biology in Focus, HSC CourseGlenda Childrawi, Margaret Robson and Stephanie Hollis

CommunicationTopic 1: The Range of Senses Involved in Communication1DOT Point(s) identify the role of receptors in detecting stimuliexplain that the response to a stimulus involves: stimulusreceptormessenger effectorResponseidentify data sources, gather and process information from secondary sources to identify the range of senses involved in communication (this is on the handout youll get for homework)IntroductionCommunication has been described as the transfer of information or messages from one organism to another. Besides sending messages, it also involves receiving messages and interpreting them correctly. In this unit we are going to explore in detail the processes involved in this.www.flickr.com

Communication and Social BehaviourFor organisms to pass information between one another, signals have evolved. When one animal gives out a recognisable signal, it may influence the response of another individual. www.guardian.co.uk

Communication and Social BehaviourThis communication between signaller and responder may lead to cooperative interaction between members of a community, termed: Social Behaviour. This is of benefit to the entire group of animals. Effective communication enables them to interact and function more efficiently. www.takechargemama.com

Communication and Social BehaviourExamples are interactions between honeybees when collecting nectar or pollenWarning calls of animals when threatened by a predatorNest building and raising of young in termite communitiesSocial interactions between humans www.sciencedaily.com

Communication and Social BehaviourTeamwork is often more successful than individual attempts, resulting in improved efficiency during hunting, foraging and defending resources (food and breeding territories) and in protection and care of offspring. The methods of communication that an organism develops are closely related to its lifestyle. stuffpoint.com

Methods of CommunicationSight is a common form of communication. Because light travels in a straight line and travels extremely fast, visual information is effective in providing details such as distance and speed. worthwhiletreasure.wordpress.com

Methods of CommunicationIn humans, sight includes reading, but also involves interpreting visual signs such as facial expressions, posture and other forms of body language. Most human communication relies on symbols, for example numbers of words that stand for or symbolise information. www.coatessignco.com.au

Methods of CommunicationRelying on the spoken and written word means of communication plays an important part in the cultural development of humans. Its main advantage is in allowing information to reach those who are not within range of hearing or sight. forums.justcommodores.com.au

Methods of CommunicationSome features of communication that distinguish Homo sapians from other animals include:SpeechAbility to think abstractlyTo reasonFine coordination involved in using hands to manipulate tools and writing implements.othersiderainbow.blogspot.com

Methods of CommunicationSound is used by many living things as a form of communication, but most other animals are unable to produce or detect the wide range of clear distinctive sounds that humans use. tx.english-ch.com -

Methods of CommunicationCommunication in animals other than humans is non-symbolic and non-verbal. Chimpanzees have been taught to use a limited amount of sign language and even to speak a few words, but studies suggest that it is unlikely that animals use symbolic language in nature. www.holytaco.com

Methods of CommunicationMost animals that use sound as a form of communication recognise the actual call or sound made for identification purposes, rather than it symbolising something.www.treehugger.com

Methods of CommunicationCommunication therefore involves sending and receiving meaningful messages. For effective communication, the communicator needs to have a signalling device. Humans have a voice box or larynx for sound production. Some examples of signalling devices in animals are:Bright colouration of body covering such as feathers in birds to visually attract a mateGlands that secrete chemicals to mark territorieswww.greenretreat.org

Methods of CommunicationA recipient must have suitable sensory structures to detect the signal. A dog that bares its teeth and growls would be an ineffective communicator if the recipient of such behaviour did not have eyes to see the aggressive display and ears to hear the growl. Sensory structures that detect changes in the environment are called receptors.creatureclinic.com

Methods of CommunicationAnimals, including humans, use all five senses to communicate. Effective methods of communication therefore rely on a corresponding development of visual, acoustic, tactile and chemical receptors. In this Unit, we are going to study in detail, sound and sight.my-ecoach.com

Stimulus DetectionA stimulus is a change in the internal or external environment of an organism. Living organisms detect (pick up or receive) stimuli using receptors. www.nzwomansweekly.co.nz

Stimulus DetectionIn their most simple form, receptors consist of single cells, scattered over the body of an organism. However in many organisms, receptors have become concentrated in particular areas to form sense organs such as the eye and the ear. The sense organs contain non-sensory tissue, aside from the special sensory cells that can monitor stimuli.anime-tutorial.blogspot.com

Stimulus DetectionA response is a reaction in an organism or its tissue, as a result of receiving a stimulus. A pathway exists whereby a stimulus is detected, a message is carried to another part of the body and a response is triggered. For example, if you touch a hot stove top with your finger, receptors in your skin detect the heat and pain, causing you to withdraw your hand rapidly. www.dog-paw-print.com

Stimulus DetectionThe co-ordination of this action requires a link between the receptors that detect the stimulus and the effectors, the muscles that respond. This link or co-ordination is carried out by the nervous system of the body (nerves, brain and spinal cord).www.tutorvista.com

Stimulus DetectionThere are three main types of receptors and people group or categorise them in different ways. Receptors are commonly classified according to the type of energy to which they respond.Photoreceptors:Photoreceptors are sensitive to light energy. This is usually energy in the range of visible light, but may include ultraviolet light in some species. www.takechargemama.com

Stimulus DetectionMechanoreceptorsMechanoreceptors respond to mechanical energy such as touch, pressure, gravity, bending or stretching. This is generally associated with movement.www.pc.rhul.ac.uk

Stimulus DetectionThermoreceptorsThermoreceptors respond to heat or cold. They are particularly effective in detecting changes in temperature.

www.nature.com Response to a StimulusThe reaction of an organism to a stimulus is termed the response. The central nervous system (CNS) triggers the response.Receptors in the sense organs are connected to the CNS by means of nerves. For example, photoreceptors in the eye connect to the brain via the optic nerve.

medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com

Response to a StimulusReceptors in the sense organ change the stimuli received by a sense organ into electrochemical signals called nerve impulses. The impulses travel along nerves, which act as messengers, transmitting the electrochemical messages from the receptors to the CNS where they are processed and interpreted. A suitable response is then initiated. today.uconn.edu

Response to a StimulusThe CNS sends more impulses along nerves to effector organs to carry out the response. Effectors are usually muscles or glands. In the example of touching a hot stove top, the withdrawal of the hand is a response triggered by the CNS. meredithbond.com

Response to a StimulusAnother example is the response to a loud knock at the classroom door (stimulus), which cases students and teacher to look up (response). In this case, the brain will interpret the information and send messages to the muscles of the neck and eyes to trigger a response. www.guardian.co.uk -

The Stimulus-response ModelThis is known as the stimulus-response model and is outlined below. Draw the top flowchart in your noteswww.takechargemama.com

The Stimulus-response ModelA stimulus, in the form of information being received by receptors, is processed by the brain and spinal cord and a message is sent via nerves or messengers to effectors where a response is brought about. The result of this behaviour is what we term animal behaviour. www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au

Homework-Students to complete DOT Point 1.3 Range of senses in communication