auditory, touch, movement, + taste sensations

unit 2

audition

the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time

frequency

a tones highness or lowness

pitch

depends on the frequency

middle ear

chamber between eardrum + cochlea that contain hammer, anvil, and stirrup that focus on the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window

inner ear

innermost part of the ear which contain the cochlea and semicircular canals

cochlea

coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger neural impulses

place theory

when the pitch we hear hits a specific area in the cochlea

frequency theory

the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone which allows us to sense its pitch

conduction hearing loss

damage to the outside of the ear and the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea

nerve hearing loss

damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or auditory nerve

tinnitus

ringing in the ear which is commonly caused by exposure to loud noises, drugs, ear infections, etc.

skin sensations

sensed by pressure, temperature, and pain

gate-control theory

the spinal cord contains a gate that can block signals or allow them to pass through the brain (basc when your too busy focusing on one thing to feel mass amounts of pain)

phantom limb sensation

usually occurs after amputation when a patient continues to experience sensations like pain, itching and movement on their “invisible” leg

taste sensations

sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami, oleogustus

supertasters

have more tastebuds which means that they are more sensitive to taste and typically have a smaller pallet

supertasters

make up 25% of the population

medium tasters

make up 50% of the population

nontasters

make up 25% of the population

kinesthesis

system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

vestibular sense

the sensation of body movement, position, and balance

synestheisa

a condition where stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences with a second (ex. seeing a sound, tasting colors, etc.)

sensory interaction

the principle that one sense may influence another (ex. this explains flavor in food. the smell of food can influence the taste of it)