Sensory Systems: Visual and Auditory

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to the visual and auditory sensory systems, based on lecture notes.

Wavelength

The distance from one wave peak to the next in the context of light.

Intensity (of a wave)

The quantity of energy in a wave, measured by amplitude or height.

Photoreceptor (light receptor)

Cells that transduce light energy into electrochemical energy (nerve impulses).

Hue

The color we perceive, coming in basic colors like red, green, or blue.

Dark adaptation

The ability to adapt to quickly darkening conditions.

Cornea

The transparent, convex outer layer of the eye covering the front part.

Iris

The colored part of the eye; a muscle that adjusts to control the amount of light entering.

Pupil

The black part at the center of the eye.

Lens

A transparent structure behind the pupil that changes curvature to focus images.

Accommodation

The bending of the lens to focus information on the correct area of the retina.

Retina

The photosensitive surface at the back of the eye containing photoreceptor cells.

Rods

Photoreceptor cells in the periphery of the eye that detect shapes and movements in low light.

Rhodopsin

A light-sensitive pigment in the rods that helps them function in low-light conditions.

Cones

Photoreceptor cells that function only in bright light and are located in the fovea.

Optic nerve

Nerves that send signals from the eyes to the brain, comprised of axons of the ganglion cells.

Nearsightedness

A condition where the eyeball is longer than normal or the cornea/lens is too curved, causing blurry distance vision.

Farsightedness

A condition where the eyeball is shorter than normal or the cornea is too flat.

Blind Spot

Area where there are no photoreceptors, resulting in a gap in the visual field.

Trichromatic Theory

Theory that explains color vision as a process within the eye, involving three cone types.

Opponent-Process Theory

Theory that explains color vision focusing on the brain, involving opponent processes like red/green, blue/yellow, black/white.

Afterimages

A visual sensation that remains after the stimulus is removed.

Color Vision Deficiency (color blindness)

The inability to perceive color differences due to a lack of short, medium, or long wavelength cones.

Dichromatism

A condition where only two types of cone cells function in the retina.

Monochromatism

A condition where an individual possesses only one type of functioning cone cell or lacks cone cells altogether.

Prosopagnosia (face blindness)

A condition where an individual cannot identify a person by their face.

Blindsight

A condition where blind individuals demonstrate some ability to respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them, due to damage to the visual cortex.

Audition

The biological process by which our ears process sound waves.

Amplitude

Affects the psychological quality of loudness, measured by decibels.

Wavelength

Affects pitch (or note).

Frequency

The number of wavelength cycles in a unit of time, measured by Hertz.

Pinna

The cone-shaped outer ear that catches sound waves and directs them into the ear canal.

Tympanic membrane

Also known as the eardrum.

Hammer, stirrup, anvil

These concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window.

Inner ear

Begins where the stapes meets the oval window.

Cochlea

Snail-shaped organ in the inner ear.

Basilar membrane

Inner surface of the cochlea that resonates to different sounds in different locations.

Corti

Contains hair cells (receptor cells) in the inner ear.

Thalamus

Sensory relay station in the brain.