review exam #2

Question 1

vestibular sacs

Answer 1

structures that influence your ability to detect when your head is no longer in an upright position

Question 2

sound localization

Answer 2

the process of identifying where sound comes from

Question 3

semicircular canals

Answer 3

three fluid-filled canals found in the inner ear that respond when the head moves in different directions (up-down,left-right, forward-backward)

Question 4

primary auditory cortex

Answer 4

a major perceptual center of the brain involved in perceiving what we hear

Question 5

place theory of theory of hearing

Answer 5

how we perceive pitch is based on location (place) along the basilar membrane that sound stimulates

Question 6

pitch

Answer 6

the perceptual experience of sound wave frequencies

Question 7

frequency theory

Answer 7

the perception of pitch is related to the frequency at which the basilar membrane vibrates

Question 8

cochlea

Answer 8

a fluid-filled membrane that is coiled in a snail-like shape and contains the structures that covert sound into neural impluses

Question 9

ventral stream

Answer 9

extends from the visual cortex to the lower part of the temporal lobe -helps you recognize objects-

Question 10

trichromatic theory ( young-helmhotz theory)

Answer 10

maintains that color vision is determined by three different cone types that are sensitive to short, med, and long wavelengths of light

Question 11

sclera

Answer 11

the white, outer surface of the eye

Question 12

rods

Answer 12

photoreceptors that occupy peripheral regions of the retina; they are highly sensitive under low light levels

Question 13

retinal disparity (binocular disparity)

Answer 13

the difference in relative position of an object as seen by both eyes, which provides info to the brain about depth

Question 14

retina

Answer 14

lines the inner surface of the back of the eye and consists of specialized receptors that absorb light and send signals related to properties of light to the brain

Question 15

pupil

Answer 15

regulates the amount of light that enters by changing its size; it dilates (expands) to allow more light to enter and constricts (shrinks) to allow less light into the eye

Question 16

prosopagnosia

Answer 16

a condition in which specific genetic problems or brain damage lead to an inability to recognize faces

Question 17

perceptual constancy

Answer 17

the ability to perceive objects as having constant shape, size, and color despite changes in perspective

Question 18

optic nerve

Answer 18

a dense bundle of fibres that connect to the brain

Question 19

optic chiasm

Answer 19

the point at which the optic nerves cross at the midline of the brain

Question 20

opponent process theory

Answer 20

states that we perceive color in terms of opposing pairs: red to green, yellow to blue, and white to black

Question 21

monocular cues

Answer 21

depth cues that we ca perceive with only one eye

Question 22

lens

Answer 22

a clear structure that focuses light onto the back of the eye

Question 23

iris

Answer 23

a round muscle that adjusts the size of the pupil; it also gives eyes their characteristic color

Question 24

fovea

Answer 24

the central region of the retina

Question 25

feature detection cells

Answer 25

cells respond selectively to simple and specific aspects of a stimulus, such as angles and edges

Question 26

dorsal stream

Answer 26

extends from the visual cortex to the parietal lobe

Question 27

dark adaptation

Answer 27

the process by which the rods and cones become increasingly sensitive to light under low levels of illumination

Question 28

convergence

Answer 28

when the eye muscles contract so that both eyes focus on a single object

Question 29

cornea

Answer 29

the clear layer that covers the front portion of the eye and also contributes to the eyes ability to focus

Question 30

cones

Answer 30

photoreceptors that are sensitive to different wavelengths of light that we perceive as color

Question 31

autonomous sensory meridian response

Answer 31

a phenomenon in which specific auditory or visual stimuli trigger tingling sensations in the scalp and neck, sometimes extending across the back and shoulders

Question 32

gate-control theory

Answer 32

explains our experience of pain as an interaction between nerves that transmit pain messages and those that inhibit these messages

Question 33

gustatory system

Answer 33

functions in sensation and perception of taste

Question 34

haptics

Answer 34

the active, exploratory aspect of touch sensation and perception

Question 35

kinesthesis

Answer 35

the sense of bodily motion and position

Question 36

multimodal integration

Answer 36

the ability to combine sensation from different modalities such as vision and hearing into a single integrated perception

Question 37

nociception

Answer 37

the activity of nerve pathways that respond to uncomfortable stimulation

Question 38

olfactory bulb

Answer 38

located on the bottom surface of the frontal lobes, which serve as the brain’s central region for processing central region for processing smellls

Question 39

olfactory epithelium

Answer 39

a thin layer of cells that are lined by sensory receptors called cilia

Question 40

olfactory system

Answer 40

involved in smell-the detection of airborne particles with specialized receptors located in the nose

Question 41

phantom limb sensations

Answer 41

frequently experienced by amputees, who report pain and other sensations coming from the absent limb