intro to sensory systems

Question 1

Describe what you know about tuning

Answer 1

differences in tuning have evolved so that the same receptor is present in different animals but is tunes to their behavioural requirements

Question 2

what does it mean when tuning is described as ambiguous

Answer 2

any response that is at the same spot on the y axis but different spot on the x axis cannot be differentiated

Question 3

describe the basic visual process of turning EM to encoded signal

Answer 3

receive EM stimulus 
translation of stimulus into bio-electrical potentials 
coding stimulus
modulation of signal 
interpretation

Question 4

what are the 4 aspects of coding

Answer 4

modality, intensity, location, timing

Question 5

describe modality

Answer 5

different types like mechanical, chemical, thermal, EM
encodes many stimuli like touch, pain, smell etc
neural pathways for specific modalities are labelled lines
a certain modality receptor will converge onto a subset of neurons

Question 6

how is location provided

Answer 6

place code and receptive fields

Question 7

what is a receptive field

Answer 7

neuronal map where related points in space generate activity in adjacent parts of the brain

Question 8

what do receptive fields allow neurons to do and what does this help us perceive

Answer 8

allows neurons to interact

provides basis to judge nature of stimulus eg is it moving

Question 9

what does resolution depend on

Answer 9

number of receiving inputs and how they converge

Question 10

what do place codes do

Answer 10

determine place + size + shape of stimulus

Question 11

how is intensity encoded

Answer 11

firing rate in spikes/second

Question 12

what do adaptation and rapidly adapting neurons mean

Answer 12

intensity coding can change over time

rapidly adapting neurons only encode change in the stimulus

Question 13

how is timing encoded

Answer 13

the timing of action potentials