Module 1.6d Flashcards
Kinesthetic system
receptors in the kinesthetic system monitor the positions of the various parts of the body
Vestibular system
receptors in the vestibular system provide information about the body’s location in space
Tactile system
sensory receptors in the skin respond to pressure, temperature, and pain
Gate-control theory
incoming pain signals can be blocked in the spinal cord, or they can open “gates” to go into the brain
absolute threshold
minimum detectable stimulus that works 50% of the time
Weber’s law
The ability to notice a difference between two things depends on the proportion of the difference, not the absolute amount
signal detection theory
the detection of stimuli involves decision processes as well as sensory processes
subliminal perception
the registration of sensory input without concious awareness; it is a genuine phenomenon, but the effects tend to be very weak.
sensory adaptation
a gradual decline in sensitivity to a stimulus with prolonged stimulation
Taste cells…
absorb chemicals in saliva and trigger neural impulses routed through the thalamus
five basic tastes
sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami
smell is different from every other sense because…
it goes directly to the brain and not to the thalamus
how does smell work?
olfactory cilia absorb chemicals in the nose and trigger neural impulses
pacinian corpuscles
an encapsulated ending of a sensory nerve that acts as a receptor for pressure and vibration
nociceptors
sensory receptors that respond to pain
thermoceptors
sensory receptors that respond to warmth or cold
how does itchiness happen
the stimulation of specialized itch-sensitive receptors by histamines.
what increases the experience of pain by signaling the spinal gates to open?
anxiety and fear
the process by which physical energy, such as light, is converted into a coded neural signal that can be transmitted to and interpreted by the brain is called:
transduction
The sensation of warm temperature is produced by the stimulation of _____ spots, while the sensation of hot temperature is produced by the simultaneous stimulation of _____ spots.
warm; warm and cold simultaneously
pheromones
chemical signals that affect the behavior of other members of the same species.
