Module 5 sensation & perception Flashcards
The process through which the lens changes shape to bring objects into focus on the retina
Accommodation
the location in the temporal lobe where auditory information is processed.
auditory cortex
The tissue inside the cochlea where the hair cells are located
Basilar membrane
Auditory cues that require comparisons from both ears to understand an object’s location
Binaural cues
These cues require comparing an image as it falls on both eyes in order to understand how far away an object is from the viewer
Binocular depth cues
The processing of physical messages delivered to the senses
Bottom-up processing
Sensory cells in the nose that respond to air molecules that we interpret as smell and taste
Chemoreceptors
A snail-shaped structure in the inner ear where the auditory hair cells are located
Chochlea
Cells in the visual striate cortex that respond to lines of specific orientations in motion
Complex cells
A type of photoreceptor in the retina that is typically most responsive to bright lighting conditions and is responsible for communicating information about acuity and color
cone
A term for several rare conditions where an individual is unable to experience pain
Congenital Analgesia
The transparent covering of the eye; performs about 80% of the focusing of a visual image
cornea
Part of the bipolar layer of the retina. These cells receive signals from the rods and send their messages to large (magno) ganglion cells
Diffuse bipolar cells
Also known as the Where stream, this pathway takes information from the occipital lobe to the parietal lobe, where we are able to identify object location
dorsal stream
Specialized cells in the visual cortex that respond most actively to specific stimuli
feature detectors
he portion of the retina directly behind the pupil. It contains a large concentration of cones and no rods
fovea
The physical measurement of pitch, or how high/low a sound is. It is measured in Hertz (Hz)
frequency
The theory of audition that suggests we understand pitch because of the rate of cellular firing on the basilar membrane
frequenct theory
A theory of pain perception that suggests that painful stimuli can be blocked in the spinal cord when you are engaged in other activities
Gate-control theory of pain
The sensory neurons inside the inner ear that convert sound into neural firing
Hair cells (auditory)
The sensory neurons inside the vestibular sacs that convert information about gravity into neural firing
hair cells (vestibular)
The physical measurement of the loudness of a sound. This is measured in decibels (dB)
Intensity
The brain compares intensity differences of sound as it arrives at each ear in order to understand object location
interaural level difference
Comparisons made between the small differences in arrival time of a sound in each ear
interaural time differences
Also known as an earworm, it is the auditory experience of an inability to dislodge a song from one’s consciousness
involuntary musical imagery
The ring of pigmented tissue surrounding the pupil. The iris is responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupil, thereby controlling the amount of light that reaches the retina
iris
This term refers to our sense of where our bodies are in space and how to move the body to accomplish specific tasks
kinesthetic sense
Part of the ganglion layer of the retina. Receive signals from the diffuse bipolar cells. The axons of these cells leave the eye and form part of the optic nerve. Also known as magno cells
large ganglion cells
he 6-layered portion of the thalamus that processes and organizes visual information
lateral geniculate nucleus
A flexible piece of tissue, located behind the pupil that focuses light on the retina
lens
Cones in the visual system that respond maximally to long wavelengths of light (e.g., reds). Also known as L-cones
long wavelength cones
Receptors in the skin that sense different kinds of pressure
mechanoreceptors
The portion of the thalamus that evaluates and organizes auditory information before sending it to the auditory cortex
medial geniculate nucleus
Cones in the visual system that respond maximally to medium wavelengths of light (e.g., greens & yellows). Also known as M-cones
medium wavelength cones
Part of the bipolar layer of the retina. These cells receive signals from cones and send their messages to the small (parvo) ganglion cells
midget bipolar cells
Also known as pictorial cues, these depth cues only require one eye to understand messages of depth
monocular depth cues
A stimulus that produces smells that can be perceived by the nose
odorant
The tissue that contains the chemoreceptors of the nose
olfactory mucosa
Neurons that are specifically responsive to odorants
olfactory receptors neurons (ORN)
A theory of color vision that suggests that cells in the visual pathway increase their activation when receiving information from one kind of cone and decrease their activation when they see a second color
opponent process theory
An X-shaped structure where the optic nerves from each eye cross before the message is sent to the thalamus
optic chiasm
the region of the brain that analyzes both taste and smell
orbitofrontal cortex
The three smallest bones in the body. They are responsible for amplifying vibrations arriving at the eardrum and transmitting these signals to the oval window of the cochlea
ossicles
The little bumps on the surface of the tongue where tastebuds are located
papillae
The processing of stimuli to create a sensory understanding of the world
perception
These cells, also called photosensitive cells, are specifically sensitive to exposure to light
photoreceptors
The external part of the ear
pinna
The theory of audition that suggests we understand pitch because of the location of firing on the basilar membrane
place theory
A field of psychology that attempts to evaluate the way the physical experience of sensations is translated into perceptions
psychphysics
The hole in the center of the eye that allows light to enter
pupil
The thin layer of tissue on the back of each eye that contains the photosensitive receptor cells
retina
The difference between the retinal image that falls on both eyes. The brain uses disparity to calculate the distance between an individual and an object
retinal disparity
The spatial organization of the retinal image is maintained through the visual pathway
retinotopic organization
One kind of photoreceptor in the retina; it typically is most responsive to low levels of light
rod
The structures in the inner ear that sense changes in acceleration and the rotation of the head
semicircular canals
The elementary parts of the environment that the brain uses to create meaning
sensations
A visual depiction of what our bodies would look like if they were built in proportion to their representation on the cortex
sensory homunculus
Cones in the visual system that respond maximally to short wavelengths (e.g., blues). Also known as S-cones
short cones
Feature-detecting cells in the visual striate cortex that respond to lines of specific orientations
simple cells
Part of the ganglion layer of the retina. Receive signals from the midget bipolar cells. The axons of these cells leave the eye and form part of the optic nerve. Also known as parvo cells
small ganglion cells
The location in the parietal lobe where touch and motion are processed
somatosensory cortex
The spatial organization of touch; two adjacent points on your skin are represented by adjacent points on the somatosensory cortex
somatotopic organization
The location of taste-sensitive cells on the tongue
taste pore
Receptors in the skin specifically designed to detect changes in temperature
Thermoreceptors
The spatial organization of the basilar membrane is maintained through the auditory pathway
tonotopic organization
The integration of a person’s beliefs, memories, and expectations into their sensory experiences to create a perception
top-down processing
The process by which external sensations are converted into neural firing in the brain
Transduction
theory of color vision that proposes that color information is identified by comparing the activation of different cones in the retin
trichromatic theory
Also known as the eardrum, this structure transfers energy to the three smallest bones of the body known as the ossicles
tympanic membrane
Also known as the What stream, this pathway takes information from the occipital lobe to the temporal lobe where we are able to identify an object
ventral stream
the structures in the inner ear that respond to cues associated with balance and posture
vestibular sacs
Also known as our sense of balance
vestibular sense
The location in the occipital lobe where visual information is organized and analyzed
visual striate cortex
The physical distance from one energy cycle to the next; changes in wavelength are often perceived as changes in colo
wavelength
