Week 2 - Sensation Flashcards
What does ‘levels of analysis’ refer to
the idea that a topic can be studies in multiple ways
What did the Nerve net theory propose?
that signals could be transmitted throughout the net in all direction
What is a Neuron?
A network of continuously interconnected nerve fibres (as contracted with neural networks, in which fibers are connected by synapses)
Considered to be continuous - like a highway without stops or traffic lights
What did Camillo Golgi discover?
Golgi is also credited with the discovery of two types of sensory receptors in muscle tendons
What is Ramon y Cajal known for?
He was the first to report with precision the fine anatomy of the nervous system
What is a Cell body?
Part of a cell that contains mechanisms that keep the cell alive. In some neurons, the cell body and the dendrites associated with it receive information from other neurons
What is a dendrite?
Structures that branch out from the cell body to receive electrical signals from other neurons
What is another name for an Axon?
Nerve fibres
What are nerve fibres known as?
Axons
What is an axon (nerve fibre)?
Part of the neuron that transmits signals from the cell body to the synapse at the end of the axon
What is a synapse?
The space between the end of an axon and the cell body or dendrite of the next axon
What are neural circuits?
Group of interconnected neurons that are responsible for neural processing
What is the role of a receptor?
Specifialized neural structures that respond to environmental stimuli, such as light, mechanical stimulation, or chemical stimuli
What are Microelectrodes?
Small wires that are used to record electrical signals from single neurons
What is a Recording electrode?
a very thin glass or metal probe that can pick up electrical signals from single neurons
Used with a recording electrode, what is a Reference electrode?
Used to measure the difference in charge between the two
What is Resting potential?
The difference in charge between the inside and outside of a nerve fiber when the fiber is at rest and no other electrical signals are present
What is a Nerve impulse?
When an electrical response is propagated down the length of an axon (nerve fiber)
What is an action potential also known as?
A Nerve impulse
What is a Neurotransmitter?
A chemical that is released at the synapse in response to incoming action potentials
Define ‘The Mind’
A system that creates representations of the world so that we can act within it to achieve our goals
What is the ‘Principle of neural representation’?
Everything a person experiences is based on representations in the persons nervous system
What is the ‘Principle of neural representation’?
Everything a person experiences is based on representations in the persons nervous system
What are Feature detectors?
Neurons that respond to specific visual features, such as orientation, size, or the more complex features that make up environmental stimuli
What is the role of the Experience-dependent plasticity mechanism?
A mechanism that causes an organism’s neurons to develop so they respond best to the type of stimulation to which the organism has been exposed
What is the Visual cortex?
An area in the occipital lobe (lower back part of the brain) that receives signals from the eyes
What is the role of the Temporal lobe?
The lobe on the side of the brain that contains mechanisms responsible for language, memory, hearing and vision
What is Hierarchical processing?
Processing that occurs in a progression from lower to higher areas of the brain
What does a Sensory Code refer to?
How neural firing represents various characteristics of the environment
Define Specificity coding
The representation of a specific stimulus by the firing of neurons that respond only to that stimulus
What is an example of specifity coding?
the signaling of a person’s face by the firing of a neuron that responds only to that person’s face
What is Population coding? Key word - population
Neural representation of a stimulus by the pattern of firing a large number of neurons
What is sparse coding? Key word - sparse
Neural representation of a stimulus by the pattern of firing a large number of neurons
What is the ‘Localisation of function’?
Location of specific function in specific areas of the brain. For example. Areas have been identified that are specialized to process information involved in the perception of movement, form, speech and different aspects of memory
What is the Brocas area?
An area in the frontal lobe associated with the production of language. Damage to this area causes Brocas aphasia (speech issues - slow, laboured, ungrammatical)
What is the Wernicke’s area?
Area in the temporal lobe associated with understanding language. Damage to this area causes wernicke’s aphasia (difficulty understanding language, and fluent, grammatically correct but incoherent speech)
What is the Parietal lobe?
The lobe at the top of the brain that contains mechanisms responsible for sensations caused by stimulation od the skin and also some aspects of visual information
What is the condition Prosopagnosia?
Condition caused by damage to the temporal lobe that is characterized by an inability to recognize faces
What is the Fusiform face area (FFA)?
An area in the temporal lobe that contains many neurons that respond selectively to faces
