Neuroscience and Psychophysics

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from neuroscience and psychophysics chapters, providing definitions for important vocabulary.

Synaptic cleft

The tiny gap between the sending axon and the receiving dendrites.

Dendrites spines

Where excitatory synapses are formed.

Astrocytes

Cells involved in development, thought, memory, and immunity.

Oligodendrocytes

Cells that speed up messages along the axon by forming the myelin sheath.

Glutamate

An excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain related to learning, control, and memory.

GABA

An inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Acetylcholine

A neuromodulator that acts as a chemical messenger.

Monoamines

A category of neurotransmitters, including serotonin.

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep, and digestion.

Frontal lobe

The brain region responsible for planning, language, and decision making.

Parietal lobe

The lobe that processes touch information and integrates senses.

Temporal lobe

The brain area that processes auditory information and is involved in language and long-term memory.

Occipital lobe

The region responsible for processing visual information.

Basal Ganglia

Brain structures that control movement, motor planning, and habit learning.

Transduction

The process of converting neural activity.

Psychophysics

The study of how we perceive sensory information.

JND (Just Noticeable Difference)

The smallest amount of stimulus change a human can detect.

Weber’s Law

The principle stating that JND is proportional to stimulus intensity.

Absolute threshold

The lowest level of stimulus that can be detected.

Signal detection theory

A theory that explains how stimuli are perceived under different conditions.

McGurk effect

A phenomenon where visual and auditory stimuli combine when speaking.

Synesthesia

A condition where the perception of one sense leads to involuntary experiences in another sense.

Hue

The quality of color as perceived by humans.

Retina

The part of the eye that converts light into nerve impulses.

Iris

The structure that controls the pupil's size.

Cornea

The transparent front part of the eye that bends light waves to focus on the retina.

Fovea

The area of the retina responsible for sharp focus and color perception.

Visual agnosia

A recognition deficit caused by damage to higher visual cortical areas.

Place perception

Related to pitch perception, involving vibration and frequency.

Frequency theory

Suggests that pitch is perceived based on the rate of neurons firing in the auditory nerve.

Circadian rhythm

Cyclical biological changes that occur on a 24-hour basis, regulated by the SCN or biological clock of the hypothalamus.

Lock-in syndrome

A neurological condition where a person is fully conscious but cannot move.

Mystical experience

A direct encounter with a reality that transcends ordinary sensory perception and rational thoughts.

Physical dependence

Refers to withdrawal symptoms related to the absence of a substance.

Psychological dependence

Related to cravings for a substance.