Psyc 211 Lecture 9 Vision part 1

Sensation

Refers to how cells of the nervous system detect stimuli in the environment (light, sound, heat) and how they transduce these signals into a change in membrane potential and a neurotransmitter release.

Perception

The conscious experience and interpretation of sensory information.

Sensory Neurons

Specialized cells that detect specific categories of physical events such as molecules, pressure, temperature, pH, and electromagnetic radiation.

Photoreceptors

Sensory neurons responsible for vision that transduce electromagnetic energy of visible light into a change in membrane potential.

Opsins

Light-sensitive proteins in photoreceptors that transduce light into a change in membrane potential.

Rhodopsin

A protein found in rod cells that is 100 times more sensitive to light than cone cells.

Color Vision Deficiency

A condition such as protanopia, deuteranopia, or tritanopia that leads to difficulties in distinguishing colors.

Fovea

The center of the retina that primarily contains cone cells and supports high-resolution color vision.

Saccadic Eye Movements

Rapid, jerky shifts in gaze from one point to another.

Visual Information Pathways

The routes by which visual information travels from the retina to the brain, including the thalamus and visual cortex.