Sensation

Sensation

is the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment. It involves the detection of physical energy and its conversion into neural signals.

Transduction

is the conversion of physical energy from stimuli into neural signals that the brain can interpret.

Perception

is the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.

Absolute Threshold

is the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time.

Just noticeable difference

(JND) is the smallest difference in stimulation that a person can detect 50% of the time.

Weber’s Law

states that the just noticeable difference between stimuli is a constant proportion of the original stimulus. It explains how we perceive changes in different types of sensory input.

Synesthesia

is a condition in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory pathway, such as seeing colors when hearing music.

Sensory Adaptation

is the reduced responsiveness of sensory receptors to constant stimulation over time, allowing individuals to focus on more relevant changes in their environment.

Lens

is a transparent structure in the eye that focuses light onto the retina, allowing for clear vision at various distances.

Retina

is a light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye that converts light into neural signals for visual processing.

Fovea

is a small pit on the retina that contains a high concentration of cones, providing the sharpest vision and color perception. R

Rods

are photoreceptor cells in the retina that are responsible for vision in low light conditions and do not detect color.

Cones

are photoreceptor cells in the retina that are responsible for color vision and function best in bright light.

Ganglion cells

are the final output neurons of the retina that transmit visual information to the brain via the optic nerve.

Blind spot

is the small area in the retina where the optic nerve exits the eye, resulting in a lack of light detection in that region.

nearsightedness

is a common vision condition where distant objects appear blurry while close objects can be seen clearly, caused by the eye being too long or the cornea having too much curvature.

Farsigthedness

is a vision condition where distant objects are seen clearly, but close objects appear blurry due to the eye's shape or lens issues.

Trichromatic

theory explains color vision based on three types of cones in the retina sensitive to red, green, and blue light.

Opponent Process

theory that describes how color perception is controlled by mechanisms that respond in opposite ways to different colors, specifically regarding pairs of color opposites like red-green and blue-yellow.

Color deficiency

is a visual impairment that affects an individual's ability to perceive colors accurately, often due to the absence or malfunction of certain types of cones in the retina.

Auditory System

the sensory system responsible for detecting sound and processing auditory information, involving the ear, auditory pathways, and brain regions.

Wavelength

is the distance between successive peaks of a wave, which determines the frequency and perceived color of light.

Amplitude

the height of a wave, indicating the strength or intensity of a sound or light wave.

Place Theory

is a theory that explains how we perceive different pitches of sound based on the location of activation along the basilar membrane in the cochlea.

Frequency theory

is a theory that explains how we perceive different pitches of sound based on the rate at which the auditory nerve fires. It suggests that the frequency of the sound wave corresponds to the frequency of the nerve impulses.

Volley theory

is a theory that explains how we perceive higher frequencies of sound by stating that multiple auditory neurons can fire in succession, working together to encode the frequency of a sound wave.

vestibular

system is a sensory system that contributes to balance and spatial orientation. It detects changes in motion and head position.

kinesthetic

system is a sensory system that helps perceive body position and movement through receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints.

pain

is the unpleasant sensory experience caused by actual or potential tissue damage, often leading to a protective reflex. It serves an important role in alerting the body to injury and prompting responses to avoid further harm.

gustation

is one of the five basic senses that allows the perception of flavors through specialized receptors on the tongue. It plays a crucial role in identifying sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami tastes.

olfaction

is the sensory system responsible for the sense of smell, detecting airborne molecules through receptors in the nasal cavity. It plays a vital role in flavor perception and emotional responses.