Ch 7 Definitions: Nonvisual Sensation & Perception Flashcards
audition
the sense of hearing
amplitude
the height of a wave;
in audition, amplitude is perceived as loudness
frequency
the number of cycles of a periodic wave per unit of time;
in audition, frequency is perceived pitch
pure tone
sound characterized by a single frequency
timbre
distinct quality of a sound due to combinations of frequencies
noise
unsystematic combinations of sound waves
decibel (db)
a unit used to express a different intensity between two sounds, equal to 20 times the common logarithm of the ration of the two levels
hertz (Hz)
a unit of sound frequency equal to one cycle per second
infrasound
sound at frequencies below the range of human hearing, or lower than about 20 Hz
ultrasound
sound at frequencies above the range of human hearing, or higher than about 20,000 Hz
pinna
the visible part of the outer ear
auditory canal
a tube-shaped structure in the outer ear that leads to the tympanic membrane
tympanic membrane
the area separating the outer & inner ears;
also known as the eardrum
oval window
the membrane separating the middle & inner ears
ossicles
the bones that span the middle ear, including:
malleus, incus, and stapes
cochlea
the fluid filled structure of the inner ear containing auditory receptors
vestibular canal
the upper chamber of the cochlea
tympanic canal
the lower chamber of the cochlea
apex
the part of the cochlea most distant from the oval window
perilymph
fluid found in the vestibular & tympanic canals of the inner ear
cochlear duct
the middle of 3 chambers of the cochlea
endolymph
the fluid found in the cochlear duct
Reissner’s membrane
a membrane that separates the vestibular canal & cochlear duct
basilar membrane
a structure in the cochlea that separates the tympanic canal & the cochlear duct
round window
a membrane covering the end of the tympanic canal
organ of Corti
a structure within the cochlear duct responsible for transducing vibrations in the inner ear into action potentials
tectorial (roof) membrane
a membrane that covers the organ of Corti
inner hair cells
auditory receptor cells located near the junction of the tectorial membrane & cochlear duct
outer hair cells
auditory receptor cells located on the organ of Corti that amplify sound
cilia
microscopic hair-like projections from a cell
auditory nerve (cranial nerve VIII)
the nerve that makes contact with the hair cells of the cochlea
spiral ganglion neuron
bipolar neuron found in the inner ear whose axons form the auditory nerve
medial geniculate nucleus (MGN)
nucleus of the thalamus that receives auditory input
primary auditory cortex (A1)
cortex located just below the lateral fissure in the temporal lobe that provides the initial cortical processing of auditory information
secondary auditory cortex
areas surrounding A1 in the temporal lobe that process complex sound stimuli
tonotopic organization
neurons responding to one frequency are located next to neurons responding to similar frequencies
place theory
the peak response of the basilar membrane is correlated with a sound’s frequency
temporal theory
for frequencies below 4000 Hz, the pattern of neural firing matches the frequency of sound
conduction loss
hearing loss due to problems in the outer or middle ears;
treated with the use of hearing aids
otosclerosis
hearing loss due to immobilization of the ossicles of the middle ear
cochlear prosthetics
electrode arrays inserted in the cochlea to treat hearing loss due to damaged inner ear hair cells
somatosensory system
the system that provides information about the body senses, including:
touch, movement, pain, and skin temperature
vestibular system
the sensory system that provides information about the position & movement of the head
otolith organ
a structure in the inner ear vestibular system that provides information about the angle of the head relative to the ground & about linear acceleration
semicircular canal
one of 3 looping chambers found in the inner ear that provide information regarding the rotation of the head
saccule
one of the structures making up the otolith organs
utricle
one of the structures making up the otolith organs
linear acceleration
the force we perceive when our rate of movement increases
otolith
a stone made from the calcium carbonate that is attached to hair cells in the otolith organs
ventral posterior (VP) nucleus
the nucleus of the thalamus that receives information regarding:
pain, touch, and the position & movement of the head
primary somatosensory cortex (S1)
cortex located in the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe that is responsible for the initial cortical processing of the somatosensory input
glabrous
hairless skin
epidermis
outer layer of the skin
dermis
the layer of skin below the epidermis
subcutaneous tissue
the layer of tissue below the dermis that contains fat & connective tissue
mechanoreceptor
a touch receptor that responds to physical displacement such as bending or stretching
encapsulated receptors
a receptor in which the axon terminal is surrounded by a fluid-filled capsule formed of connective tissue
Meissner’s corppuscles
an encapsulated mechanoreceptor located near the surface of the skin that senses pressure
Pacinian corpuscles
an encapsulated mechanoreceptor located deeper in the skin, in joints, and in the digestive tract that senses pressure and vibration
Merkel’s disks
a nonencapsulated mechanoreceptor located near the surface of the skin that senses pressure
Ruffini’s endings
a nonencapsulated mechanoreceptor located deep in the skin that senses stretch
dermatome
the area of skin surface served by the dorsal root of a spinal nerve
dorsal column-medial lemniscal pathway
the pathway taken by touch information from the mechanoreceptors to the brain
phantom pain
pain that is perceived as arising form a missing body part
referred sensations
the perception of touch of a body part as arising from a missing body part
neglect syndrome
a condition resulting from secondary somatosensory cortex that produces difficulty perceiving a body part or part of the visual field
pain
the sense that provides information about tissue damage
nociceptor
a free nerve ending that responds to painful stimuli
substantia gelatinosa
a group of cells in the outer gray matter of the dorsal horn that receives input from pain fibers
Substance P
a neurochemical associated with the sense of pain
gate theory of pain
an explanation of the effects of context on the perception of pain
spinothalamic pathway
a pathway carrying pain information from the substantia gelatinous to the thalamus
trigeminal lemniscus
a pathway fro pain information from the head and neck that connects the spinal trigeminal nucleus and the thalamus
intralaminar nuclei
nuclei within the thalamus that receive pain information
olfaction
the sense of smell
olfactory epithelium
the nasal cavity area containing olfactory receptors
glomeroli
structures within the olfactory bulb where olfactory receptor axons form synapses with olfactory neurons
olfactory tract
a fiber pathway connecting the olfactory bulbs to the olfactory cortex
olfactory cortex
cortex in the frontal and temporal lobes that responds to the sense of smell
medial dorsal nucleus
the area of the thalamus that processes olfactory information
gustation
the sense of taste
umami
a proposed taste category associated with he presence of proteins
papilla
bumps on the tongue that contain taste receptors
taste buds
structures that contain taste receptors
gustatory nucleus
a location within the solitary nucleus that receives gustatory input from cranial nerves VII, IX, and X
ventral posterior medial (VPM) nucleus of the thalamus
the nucleus of the thalamus that receives information regarding taste
gustatory cortex
area at the junction of the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, and insula that processes gustatory information
synaesthesia
experience in one sensory pathway elicits an automatic activation of another sensory pathway
