Chapter Five : Part Two Flashcards
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
optic nerve
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there
blind spot
the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster
fovea
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle or movement
feature detectors
the processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision; contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and conscious problem solving
parallel processing
the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors - one most sensitive to red, one green, one to blue - which when stimulated in combination can produce perception of any color
Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic (3 color) Theory
the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision; example: some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red, others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green
opponent-process theory
perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
color consancy
the sense or act of hearing
audition
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
frequency
a tone’s experienced highness of lowness; depends on frequency
pitch
the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window
middle ear
a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves rigger nerve impulses
cochlea
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs
inner ear
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated
Place theory
in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense it’s pitch
frequency theory
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
conduction hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness
sensorineural hearing loss
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electors threaded into the cochlea
cochlea implant
the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain; the “gate” is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain
gate-control theory
the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences taste
sensory interaction
people who lose one channel of sensation do seem to compensate with a slight enhancement of their other sensory abilities
sensory compensation
the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
kinesthesis
the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance
vestibular sense
