Sensory Systems and Visual Processing

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to sensory systems and visual processing based on the provided notes.

Central Nervous System

The part of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

Neuron

A specialized cell that transmits nerve impulses.

Receptive Field

The area of the body that stimulates one sensory unit.

Sensory Unit

One sensory neuron and all of its sensory (receptor) endings.

Tactile Sense

The sense of touch, which involves detecting pressure, vibration, and temperature.

Pacinian Corpuscle

A type of mechanoreceptor sensitive to deep pressure and vibration.

Ruffini Endings

Mechanoreceptors that detect skin stretch.

Photoreceptor Cells

Cells in the retina that respond to light; includes rods and cones.

Rhodopsin

A protein in rods that helps detect dim light; essential for night vision.

Photopsin

A protein in cones that aids in color perception and bright light detection.

Accommodation

The process by which the eye changes the shape of the lens to focus on objects at different distances.

Presbyopia

A condition associated with aging, where the lens loses elasticity, resulting in reduced near vision.

Myopia

Nearsightedness; a condition where distant objects appear blurry due to the eyeball being too long.

Hyperopia

Farsightedness; a condition where close objects appear blurry due to the eyeball being too short.

Astigmatism

A visual disorder caused by an abnormal curvature of the lens, resulting in blurred vision.