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MCAT > Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Sensation and Perception Flashcards

1
Q

What is the difference between sensation and perception?

A

Sensation is the unfiltered raw information that PNS receptors receive and perception is the processing of this information in order to understand its significance

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2
Q

Transduction

A

Conversion of physical, electromagnetic, auditory, and other information from our internal and external environment to electrical signals in the nervous system

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3
Q

Does sensation start in the PNS or CNS?

A

PNS to CNS

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4
Q

Ganglia

A

Collections of neuron cell bodies found outside the CNS that receive a stimulus and transmit it to CNS

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5
Q

Projection areas

A

Parts of the brain that accept electrochemical energy (sensory input) and further analyze it

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6
Q

What do photoreceptors respond to?

A

Electromagnetic waves in the visible spectrum

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7
Q

What receptors are involved in sight?

A

Photoreceptors

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8
Q

What do hair cells respond to?

A

Movement of fluid in the inner ear

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9
Q

What receptors are involved in hearing?

A

Hair cells

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10
Q

What receptors are involved in rotational and linear acceleration?

A

Hair cells

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11
Q

What do nociceptors respond to?

A

Painful or noxious stimuli

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12
Q

What receptors are involved in somatosensation?

A

Nociceptors

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13
Q

What do thermoreceptors respond to?

A

Changes in temperature

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14
Q

What receptors are involved in thermosensation?

A

Thermoreceptors

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15
Q

What do osmoreceptors respond to?

A

Osmolarity of the blood

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16
Q

What receptors are involved in blood osmolarity?

A

Osmoreceptors

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17
Q

What do olfactory receptors respond to?

A

Volatile compounds

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18
Q

What receptors are involved in smell?

A

Olfactory receptors

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19
Q

What do taste receptors respond to?

A

Dissolved compounds

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20
Q

What receptors are involved in taste?

A

Taste receptors

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21
Q

Absolute threshold

A

Minimum stimulus energy required to activate a sensory system

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22
Q

Is an absolute threshold a threshold in sensation or perception and why?

A

Sensation - the change will still cause a difference in the receptors but is not enough to create an action potential

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23
Q

Threshold of conscious perception

A

Stimulus is enough to be transduced by the CNS but still not big enough to be perceived because it is either too short or too subtle

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24
Q

Just-noticeable difference (difference threshold)

A

Minimum difference in magnitude between two stimuli before one can perceive the difference

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25
Q

Weber’s Law

A

There is a constant ratio between the change in stimulus magnitude needed to produce a JND and the magnitude of the original stimulus

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26
Q

Signal Detection Theory

A

Changes in our perception of the same stimuli depending on both internal and external context

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27
Q

Response bias

A

Tendency of subjects to systematically respond to a stimulus in a particular way due to nonsensory factors

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28
Q

What happens in a catch trial?

A

Signal is presented

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29
Q

What happens in a noise trial?

A

Signal is not presented

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30
Q

What are the four outcomes in a signal detection experiment?

A

Hit: correct detection of a signal
Miss: subject fails to perceive a certain signal
False Alarm: subject seems to perceive a signal when none was given
Correct Negative: correct identification that no signal was given

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31
Q

What is it called when your body and mind try to focus only on relevant stimuli?

A

Adaptation

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32
Q

Threshold

A

Minimum amount of stimulus that renders a difference in perception

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33
Q

Duplicity theory of vision

A

The retina contains two kinds of photoreceptors

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34
Q

What are the two kinds of photoreceptors

A

Rods: light and dark perception
Cones: color detection

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35
Q

What are cones?

A

Used for color vision and to detect fine details

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36
Q

Which photoreceptors are used for color vision?

A

Cones

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37
Q

What are rods:

A

Used for sensation of light and dark

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38
Q

Which photoreceptors are used for light and dark vision?

A

Rods

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39
Q

Are there more rods or cones in the retina?

A

Rods (120mil vs 6mil)

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40
Q

Where are rods and cones found?

A

Retina, eye

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41
Q

What pigment do rods contain?

A

Rhodopsin

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42
Q

What are the three types of cones and which colors do they have the highest absorption at?

A

S: short - blue/purple
M: medium - green
L: long - red

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43
Q

What is the central part of the retina called?

A

Macula

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44
Q

Macula

A

Central part of the retina that has a high concentration of cones

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45
Q

Fovea

A

Centermost point of the macula which contains only cones

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46
Q

Which part of the retina contains only cones?

A

Fovea

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47
Q

Which photoreceptors does the macula mostly contain?

A

Cones

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48
Q

Where do rods and cones connect?

A

Bipolar cells

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49
Q

What are bipolar cells?

A

Cells where rods and cones connect

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50
Q

What do bipolar cells synapse with?

A

Ganglion cells

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51
Q

What is the optic nerve comprised of?

A

Bipolar and ganglion cells

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52
Q

What is the relationship between number of receptors and resolution?

A

As more receptors converge on an individual ganglion cell, resolution decreases

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53
Q

Do rods or cones have greater sensitivity?

A

Cones

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54
Q

What are amacrine and horizontal cells?

A

Receive input from multiple retinal cells in the same area before the information is passed on to ganglion cells - accentuate differences between visual information in each bipolar cell

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55
Q

Which cells are important for perception of contrast?

A

Amacrine and horizontal cells

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56
Q

Which three areas of the brain receive visual input from the optic chiasm?

A

Lateral thalamus
Visual cortex of occipital lobe
Superior colliculus

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57
Q

Optic chiasm

A

Fibers from the nasal half of each retina cross paths - tracts from both left sides of the eye go to left brain meaning that right visual field goes to left brain from both eyes

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58
Q

Parallel processing

A

Ability to simultaneously analyze and combine information regarding color, shape, and motion

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59
Q

Parvocellular cells

A

Allow detection of shape

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60
Q

Do parvocellular cells have low or high spatial and temporal resolution and what does this mean?

A

High spatial and low temporal meaning they can see fine detail but only stationary or slow-moving objects

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61
Q

Which cells allow us to see shapes?

A

Parvocellular cells

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62
Q

Magnocellular cells

A

Allow detection of motion

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63
Q

Do magnocellular cells have low or high spatial and temporal resolution and what does this mean?

A

Low spatial and high temporal meaning they can see moving objects but cannot detect rich detail

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64
Q

Which cells allow us to see motion?

A

Magnocellular cells

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65
Q

Sclera

A

White of the eye, covers the majority of the eye

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66
Q

What is the white of the eye called?

A

Sclera

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67
Q

Choroidal vessels

A

Vessels between the sclera and retina

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68
Q

Which vessels lie between the sclera and retina?

A

Choroidal

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69
Q

What are the two types of eye blood vessels?

A

Choroidal and retinal

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70
Q

Retina

A

Innermost layer of the eye, contains the photoreceptors

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71
Q

Which part of the eye contains photoreceptors?

72
Q

What are the three layers of the eye from outer to inner?

A

Sclera - choroid - retina

73
Q

Choroid

A

Middle layer of the eye

74
Q

Iris

A

Colored part of the eye, controls size of pupil

75
Q

What is the colored part of the eye?

76
Q

What is the choroid continuous with?

A

Iris and ciliary body

77
Q

What is the iris continuous with?

A

Choroid and ciliary body

78
Q

What is the ciliary body continuous with?

A

Iris and choroid

79
Q

What produces aqueous humor?

A

Ciliary body

80
Q

Ciliary body

A

Produces aqueous humor and contains the ciliary muscle

81
Q

Aqueous humor

A

Bathes front of the eye

82
Q

Where does the aqueous humor drain?

A

Canal of schlemm

83
Q

Canal of schlemm

A

What the aqueous humor drains into

84
Q

Lens

A

Controls the refraction of incoming light

85
Q

Does incoming light on the right go to the right part of the eye and brain?

A

Left eye, left brain

86
Q

Vitreous humor

A

Transparent gel that supports the retina

87
Q

What is the transparent gel that supports the retina?

A

Vitreous humor

88
Q

What are the two parts of the iris?

A

Dilator and constrictor pupillae

89
Q

Where are the dilator and constrictor pupillae found?

90
Q

What system controls the dilator pupillae?

A

Sympathetic

91
Q

What system controls the constrictor pupillae?

A

Parasympathetic

92
Q

What is accomodation?

A

Parasympathetic system controls the ciliary muscle, which contracts and pulls the suspensory ligaments to change the shape of the lens

93
Q

What does contraction of the ciliary muscle affect?

A

Pulls the suspensory ligament to change the shape of the lens

94
Q

Cornea

A

Front part of the eye that gathers and focuses incoming light

95
Q

What is the pathway of light through the eye?

A

Cornea - anterior chamber - iris - posterior chamber - lens - vitreous humor - retina

96
Q

Anterior chamber

A

Lies in front of the iris

97
Q

Posterior chamber

A

Lies between the iris and the lens

98
Q

Pupil

A

Allows flow of light from anterior to posterior chamber

99
Q

What allows flow of light from anterior to posterior chamber?

100
Q

What controls the size of the pupil?

101
Q

What type of sense is smell?

102
Q

Pheromones

A

Secreted by a person or animal and may affect behavior

103
Q

Where is the taste center located?

104
Q

Papillae

A

Taste buds

105
Q

What are the four modalities of somatosensation?

A

Pressure
Vibration
Pain
Temperature

106
Q

Two-point threshold

A

Minimum distance necessary between two points of stimulation on the skin such that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli

107
Q

Physiological zero

A

Between 86 and 97 degrees, normal temperature of the skin, objects feel hot or cold relative to this temperature

108
Q

What is another name for kinesthetic sense?

A

Proprioception

109
Q

What is another name for proprioception?

A

Kinesthetic sense

110
Q

Kinesthetic sense / Proprioception

A

Ability to tell where one’s body is in space

111
Q

Bottom-Up processing

A

Brain takes individual sensory stimuli and combines them to make an image before determining what the object is

112
Q

Is data driven processing bottom up or top down processing?

A

Bottomw Up

113
Q

Is conceptually driven processing bottom up or top down processing?

114
Q

Top-down processing

A

Driven by memories and expectations that allow the brain to recognize the whole object and then recognize the components based on these expectations

115
Q

Law of proximity

A

Elements close to one another tend to be perceived as a unit

116
Q

What Gestalt Principal explains why elements close to one another tend to be perceived as a unit?

A

Law of proximity

117
Q

What Gestalt Principal explains why objects that are grouped together tend to be similar?

A

Law of similarity

118
Q

What Gestalt Principal explains why elements that follow in the same pathway tend to be grouped together?

A

Law of good continuation

119
Q

What Gestalt Principal explains why we perceive contours, and therefore shapes, that are not actually present?

A

Law of Subjective Contours

120
Q

What Gestalt Principal explains why a space enclosed by a contour it tends to be seen as a complete figure?

A

Law of Closure

121
Q

What principal explains why perceptual organization will always be as regular, simple, and symmetric as possible?

A

Law of pragnanz

122
Q

Law of good continuation

A

Elements that follow in the same pathway tend to be grouped together

123
Q

Law of Subjective Contours

A

Perceiving contours, and therefore shapes, that are not actually present

124
Q

Law of Closure

A

When a space is enclosed by a contour it tends to be seen as a complete figure

125
Q

Law of pragnanz

A

Perceptual organization will always be as regular, simple, and symmetric as possible

126
Q

Vestibular sense

A

Rotational and linear acceleration

127
Q

What is the outside of the ear called?

A

Pinna or auricle

128
Q

What part of the ear is the pinna or auricle?

A

Outside cartilage of the ear

129
Q

What is another name for the pinna?

130
Q

What is another name for the auricle?

131
Q

What is the function of the pinna?

A

Channel sound waves into the external auditory canal

132
Q

What is the function of the external auditory canal?

A

Directs sound from the pinna to the eardrum

133
Q

What is another name for the eardrum?

A

Tympanic membrane

134
Q

What is another name for the tympanic membrane?

135
Q

Pathway of sound waves

A

Pinna - external auditory canal - tymapnic membrane (eardrum) - ossicles (malleus to incus to stapes) - cochlea (oval window to perilymph) - basilar membrane - vestibulocochlear nerve - brainstem - medial thalamus - temporal lobe

136
Q

What is the relationship between frequency of sound waves and eardrum vibration?

A

Rate of vibration increases with increasing frequency

137
Q

What is the relationship between eardrum vibration and sound volume?

A

Louder sounds have a higher vibration amplitude

138
Q

Where is the eardrum?

A

Divides outer and middle ear

139
Q

What is found in the middle ear?

140
Q

Where are ossicles found?

A

Middle Ear

141
Q

What is the function of the ossicles?

A

Transmit and amplify the vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear

142
Q

What are the three ossicle bones?

A

Stapes
Malleus
Incus

143
Q

What is the other name for the stapes?

144
Q

What is the other name for the stirrup?

145
Q

What is the other name for the malleus?

146
Q

What is the other name for the hammer?

147
Q

What is the other name for the incus?

148
Q

What is the other name for the anvil?

149
Q

Which ossicle is attached to the eardrum?

150
Q

What is located at the entrance to the inner ear?

151
Q

Where is the cochlea?

A

Entrance to inner ear, baseplate of stapes rests in cochlea

152
Q

How is the middle ear connected to the nasal cavity?

A

Eustachian tube

153
Q

What is the function of the eustachian tube?

A

Equalize the pressure between the middle ear and environment

154
Q

What is the inner ear comprised of?

A

Cochlea, vestibule, semicircular canals

155
Q

What is endolymph?

A

Potassium-rich fluid filling the inner ear

156
Q

What is perilymph?

A

Fluid within which the inner ear is suspended within

157
Q

What does the perilymph do?

A

Transmits vibrations from the outside world and cushions inner ear structures

158
Q

What are scalae?

A

Three parts of the choclea that run along the entire structure

159
Q

Which scalae houses hearing apparatus?

160
Q

Organ of corti

A

Hearing apparatus in the middle scalae of the cochlea which contains hair cells

161
Q

Basilar membrane

A

Thin membrane that the organ of corti rests on

162
Q

Tectorial membrane

A

Immobile membrane on top of the organ or corti

163
Q

What are the top and bottom scalae filled with?

164
Q

What carries electrical signal of sound to the CNS?

A

Auditory (vestibular) nerve

165
Q

Vestibulary nerve

A

Carries electrical signal of sound to the CNS

166
Q

What portion of the ear is responsible for linear acceleration?

167
Q

What is the function of the vestibule?

A

Part of the balancing apparatus that allows one to determine 3D position in space (linear acceleration)

168
Q

What are the two structures of the vestibule?

A

Utricle and saccule

169
Q

Where is the ear are the utricle and saccule found?

A

Inner ear, vestibule

170
Q

What are otoliths?

A

Cover the modified hair cells of the vestibule that resist forward acceleration and send signals to CNS

171
Q

What portion of the ear is responsible for rotational acceleration?

A

Semicircular canals

172
Q

What is the function of the semicircular canals?

A

Send signal to the brain during rotational acceleration

173
Q

What part of the semicircular canal contains hair cells?

174
Q

What four structures do sound signals travel to?

A

Medial thalamus
Auditory cortex in temporal lobe
Superior Olive
Inferior colliculus

175
Q

What does the superior olive do?

A

Sound localization

176
Q

What structure is responsible for sound localization?

A

Superior Olive

MCAT (31 decks)

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