Overview of Color, Hearing, Taste, and Other Senses

Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory

Red, green, and blue cones mix to create all colors.

Opponent Process Theory

Color pairs (red-green, blue-yellow, black-white) work in opposition. Afterimages happen when one is tired and the other fires.

Color Blindness

Missing red or green cones (usually male).

Dichromatism

Missing 1 type of cone.

Monochromatism

No color vision.

Prosopagnosia

Face blindness - can't recognize familiar faces.

Blindsight

Can respond to visual things without conscious sight.

Frequency (Hz)

Pitch (high or low).

Amplitude (dB)

Loudness.

Cochlea

Where sound waves are turned into signals for the brain.

Place Theory

Pitch depends on where the cochlea is stimulated.

Frequency Theory

Pitch depends on how fast neurons fire.

Volley Theory

Neurons take turns firing quickly for high-pitched sounds.

Localization

We can tell where a sound comes from based on which ear hears it first.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Damage to the middle ear; can be fixed.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Damage to the inner ear or nerve; permanent.

Cochlear Implant

A device that helps people with severe hearing loss.

Taste Buds

Receptors for sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami; regenerate every 2 weeks.

Smell (Olfaction)

Particles go directly to the brain (not through the thalamus). Linked closely with memory.

Sensory Interaction

Senses work together (taste + smell = flavor).

Pheromones

Chemical signals that affect others of the same species.

Taste vs. Flavor

Taste: Tongue only. Flavor: Taste + smell + texture.

Kinesthesis

Sense of where your body parts are.

Vestibular Sense

Balance and body position; comes from inner ear.

Synesthesia

When one sense triggers another (e.g., seeing colors when hearing music).