Chapter 3

Question 1

Sensation

Answer 1

stimulation of sensory receptors

Question 2

perception

Answer 2

brain interpretation of sensory information

Question 3

receptor cell

Answer 3

specialized cell that responds to a particular type of energy

Question 4

transduction

Answer 4

physical energy to coded neural signals

Question 5

doctrine of specific nerve energies

Answer 5

there is a 1 to 1 relationship between stimulation of a specific nerve and the resulting sensory experiences

Question 6

absolute threshold

Answer 6

least amount of energy that can be detected as stimulation 50% of the time

Question 6

Adaptation

Answer 6

adjustment of senses to level of stimulation received

Question 7

difference threshold

Answer 7

smallest change in stimulation that can be detected 50% of the time

Question 8

weber’s law

Answer 8

principle that the difference threshold for any given sense is a constant fraction or proportion of the stimulation being judged

Question 9

subliminal perception

Answer 9

perception that occurs below the absolute threshold

Question 10

Eye parts

Answer 10

cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina, fovea

Question 11

cornea

Answer 11

transparent protective eye coating

Question 12

iris

Answer 12

colored part of eye that regulates pupil size

Question 13

lens

Answer 13

transparent part that focuses light to the retina

Question 13

retina

Answer 13

lining of the eye that connects light sensitive receptor cells

Question 14

fovea

Answer 14

area of the retina that is the center of the visual field

Question 14

Wavelengths

Answer 14

different energies on the EM spectrum

Question 15

rods

Answer 15

receptor cells responsible for night vision and perception of brightness

Question 16

cones

Answer 16

receptor cells responsible for color

Question 17

bipolar cells

Answer 17

neurons that have 1 axon and 1 dendrite

Question 18

visual acuity

Answer 18

ability to distinguish fine detail

Question 19

Dark adaptation

Answer 19

increased rod/cone sensitivity in darkness

Question 20

Light adaptation

Answer 20

increased rod/cone sensitivity in light

Question 21

after image

Answer 21

sensory experience that occurs after visual experience has been removed

Question 22

Ganglion cells

Answer 22

transmit processed visual information to the brain

Question 23

optic nerve

Answer 23

bundle of axons of ganglion cells that carry neural mgs. from eye to brain

Question 24

blind spot

Answer 24

place in retina where axons of all ganglion cells leave the eye and there are no receptors

Question 25

optic chiasm

Answer 25

point near base of the brain where fibers in optic nerve from each eye cross to other side of the brain

Question 26

feature detectors

Answer 26

specialized brain cells that only respond to particular elements in the visual field

Question 27

hue

Answer 27

color you see

Question 28

saturation

Answer 28

vividness of a hue

Question 29

brightness

Answer 29

nearness of a color to white - determined by amplitude

Question 30

adaptive color mixing

Answer 30

process of mixing lights of a different wavelength to make new hues (think stage lights)

Question 31

subtractive color mixing

Answer 31

process of mixing pigments, each of which absorbs some wavelengths and reflects others (think paint)

Question 32

trichromatic theory

Answer 32

three colors, all perception is derived from 3 color receptors in retina (RGB)

Question 32

Opponent process theory

Answer 32

theory of color vision that three sets of color receptors operate as switches to determine color (red vs green, yellow vs blue, black vs white)

Question 33

sound wave

Answer 33

change in pressure when molecules of air collide

Question 34

frequency

Answer 34

cycles/second of a wave, measured in hertz

Question 35

pitch

Answer 35

auditory experience corresponding to sound vibrations, resulting in higher or lower tone

Question 36

amplitude

Answer 36

magnitude of a wave, for sound it determines loudness (Decibles)

Question 37

timbre

Answer 37

quality or texture of a sound wave caused by overtones

Question 37

overtones

Answer 37

higher-pitched frequencies that accompany the main pitch of a sound and shape how we hear its tone or quality.

Question 38

oval window

Answer 38

membrane across opening between middle and inner ear that conducts vibrations to cochlea

Question 39

cochlea

Answer 39

fluid filled tube roiled into coil, part of inner ear that containing vibration fluid that causes basilar membrane to vibrate

Question 40

basilar membrane

Answer 40

vibrating membrane in cochlea, has sense receptors for sound

Question 41

organ of corti

Answer 41

structure on surface of basilar membrane, has the most hearing receptor cells

Question 42

auditory nerve

Answer 42

bundle of axons that carries signals from each ear to the brain

Question 43

place theory

Answer 43

theory that pitch is determined by location of greatest vibration on basilar membrane

Question 44

frequency theory

Answer 44

pitch is determined by the frequency of which cochlea hairs fire

Question 45

volley principle

Answer 45

receptors in the ear fire in sequence

Question 46

what is smell?

Answer 46

sense that occurs when odor molecules from air reach olfactory receptors in nose

Question 47

olfactory bulb

Answer 47

houses cells that convert odor molecules to neural impulses

Question 48

pheromes

Answer 48

chemicals that communicate to other organisms via smell

Question 49

what are the 5 taste profiles

Answer 49

sour, sweet, bitter, salty, umami

Question 50

taste bud

Answer 50

detect molecules and release a neurotransmitter that causes adjacent ones to fire, sending nerve impulse to limbic system and partial lobe

Question 51

vestibular sense

Answer 51

sense of equilibrium and body position in space

Question 52

kinesthetic sense

Answer 52

sense of body movement and position

Question 53

slow pathway of touch

Answer 53

receptor cell to medulla to thalamus to sensory cortex

Question 54

fast pathway of touch

Answer 54

receptor cells to thalamus to reticular formation

Question 55

gate control theory

Answer 55

we have a gate in our spine that can shut off to diminish pain