Untitled Flashcard Set

All-or-None Law

A principle stating that a neuron fires completely or not at all.

Gate Control Theory

A theory suggesting that the spinal cord contains a 'gate' that blocks or allows pain signals.

Feature Detection Theory

A theory that proposes the brain has neurons that respond to specific visual features such as lines and edges.

Feature Integration Theory

The theory that we perceive objects by combining individual features, requiring attention.

Young–Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory

A theory stating that color vision is based on three cones sensitive to red, green, and blue.

Opponent-Process Theory

A theory that explains color vision using opposing pairs of colors.

Place Theory

A theory that pitch is determined by where sound waves hit the basilar membrane.

Frequency Theory

A theory that pitch is determined by how often the auditory nerve fires.

Nature via Nurture

The concept that genes and the environment interact in determining human behavior.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize itself, especially after injury or during development.

Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis

A theory that dreams are the brain's attempt to make sense of random neural firing.

Neurocognitive Theory of Dreaming

A theory stating that dreams reflect thinking, memory, and emotion.

Dissociation Theory

A theory that posits hypnosis as a split in consciousness, leading to divided awareness.

Social Influence Theory

A theory suggesting that hypnosis results from social expectations.

Photoreceptors

Sensory receptors in the retina that detect light, including rods and cones.

Mechanoreceptors

Receptors that detect pressure, vibration, and movement; includes touch receptors and hair cells.

Thermoreceptors

Receptors that detect heat and cold located in skin and body tissues.

Chemoreceptors

Receptors that detect chemical molecules, involved in taste (gustation) and smell (olfaction).

Nociceptors

Receptors that detect tissue damage and trigger pain signals.

Proprioceptors

Receptors that detect body position and movement, found in muscles and joints.

Vestibular Receptors

Receptors located in the semicircular canals and otolith organs that detect balance and head movement.

Taste Bud Receptors

Receptors located on the tongue that detect the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami.

Hair Cells

Mechanoreceptors in hearing that transform sound vibrations into neural signals.

Basilar Membrane

A structure in the cochlea important for pitch detection.

Organ of Corti

A structure in the cochlea involved in the transduction of sound.