Sensations

sensation

sensory processes taking in information as raw data or meaningless pieces of information about the external world

perception

the process of bringing meaning to sensations by way of collecting, organizing, and interpreting new data.

process of sensation

the activation of special neuron receptor sites in the sense organs, triggering the conversion of various forms of outside stimuli into neural signals in the brain.

sensory receptors

specialized forms of neurons stimulated by different kinds of energy such as light, vibrations and pressure

weber’s law of just noticeable difference

the smallest difference between two stimuli (detectable 50% of the time) is always constant.

ear receptors

triggered by molecules of vibrating air

eye receptors

triggered by electromagnetic energy in the form of visible light

touch receptors

triggered by pressure or temperature

long wavelengths

found at the red end of the visible spectrum

shorter wavelengths

found at the blue end of the visible spectrum

cornea

clear, protective membrane that covers the surface of the eye and focuses the light coming into the eye.

aqueous humor

water fluid that continually replenishes and nourishes the eye.

pupil

the hole through which the light from the visual image enters the interior of the eye.

visual accommodation

the change in the thickness of the lens as the eye focuses on objects far and close away.

vitreous humor

gives eye shape, jelly like figure.

photo receptor neurons are usually called

rods and cones

rods are sensitive to what

changes in brightness

cone

responsible for color vision and sharpness of vision

dark adaptation

recovery of eye in darkness after exposure to bright lights

light adaptation

recovery of the eye in light after exposure to darkness

trichromatic theory

theory of 3 types of cones, red , blue and green

opponent process theory

theory stating visual neurons are stimulated by light of one colors and inhibited by light of another color.

sound waves

vibrations of the molecules in the air expanding.

wavelength

frequency or pitch

amplitude

volume

pinna

visible part of the ear (outer ear) ; entrance to auditory canal.

three tiny bones in middle ear

hammer, anvil and stirrup

cochlea

inner ear; snail shaped structure filled with fluid.

basilar membrane

membrane running through the middle of the cochlea (sense of hearing).

basilar membrane contains the hair like cells that send signals via auditory nerce to the …

thalamus

thalamus relays information to…

cortex

volley principle

groups of auditory neurons take turns firing in a process called volleying, back and forth

gustation

sensation of taste

taste buds

clusters of taste receptors cells on the tongue

five basic tastes

sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami

olfaction

ability to smell odors

olfactory receptor cells

nerve fibers inside the nasal activity that carry information about smell directly to the olfactory bulb

cilia

tiny hairlike cells that are the receptors for the sense of smell.

skin receptors (somesthetic senses) receive information about…

touch, pressure, temperature, and pain

kinesthetic senses

sense of the location of body parts in relation to the ground and each other

vestibular senses

the sensations of movement, balance and body position.