Neal Notes: Sensation and Perceprion

Sensation

Input from the physical world to our sensory receptors, associated with bottom-up processing.

Perception

How our brain interprets stimuli, associated with top-down processing.

Pupil

The opening in the eye through which light passes.

Iris

Colored part of the eye made up of many pigments.

Constriction

The process where muscles in the iris constrict the pupil, controlling the amount of light that enters.

Dilation

The process of making the eyehole larger or smaller.

Geniculostriate pathway

The pathway from the retina to the occipital lobe through the LGN in the thalamus.

Superachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

Part of the brain involved in regulating circadian rhythms, connected to the retina.

Superior colliculus

A structure that directs visual attention to where sounds are originating from, located in the tectum.

Pulvinar

Brain region that helps detect fear-related stimuli.

Achromatopsia

Colorblindness resulting from damage to the brain.

Unconscious inferences

Process by which our brain interprets ambiguous stimuli, such as recognizing objects from unclear shapes.

Outer ear

Part of the ear responsible for collecting mechanical signals from sound.

Middle ear

Part of the ear that amplifies sound and is prone to infections in children.

Inner ear

Part responsible for transducing sound into electrical signals; includes cochlea and semicircular ducts.

Cochlea

Structure in the inner ear that vibrates with sound and transmits signals as electrical impulses.

Semicircular Ducts

Part of the inner ear that helps determine balance and orientation.

Brain Stem

Region that processes auditory information from both ears to determine the location of sound.