Biological Bases
Biological Bases
Biological Bases/Sensation & Perception
Sensation & Perception
Sensation & Perception/States of Consciousness
100
Highly specialized nerve cell responsible for receiving and transmitting information in electrical and chemical forms. Fundamental building blocks of the nervous system.
What is a neuron?
100
Chemical transmitters manufactured by a neuron. For example, acetylcholine is associated with Alzheimer's disease, dopamine is linked to schizophrenia, and serotonin is related to depression.
What are neurotransmitters?
100
Nearly symmetrical left and right halves of the cerebral cortex. Left hemisphere specializes in verbal and analytical functions. Right hemisphere focuses on nonverbal abilities such as art and music and visual recognition tasks.
What are cerebral hemispheres?
100
Decline in sensitivity to a constant stimulus. For example, the longer an individual is exposed to a strong odor, the less aware of the odor the individual becomes.
What is sensory adaptation?
100
Short, thick visual receptor cells, concentrated near the center of the retina, responsible for color vision and fine detail. People who are color blind typically have deficiencies in these.
What are cones?
200
White, fatty covering wrapped around the axons of some neurons, which increases the rate at which nerve impulses travel along the axon.
What is the myelin sheath?
200
Branch of the autonomic nervous system that produces rapid physical arousal in response to perceived emergencies or threats.
What is sympathetic nervous system?
200
Bundle of nerve fibers connecting the brain's left and right hemispheres. In a procedure known as split-brain surgery, neurosurgeons cut this to prevent the spread of epileptic seizures by disrupting communication between the hemispheres.
What is corpus callosum?
200
Process by which sensory receptors convert the incoming physical energy of stimuli, such as light waves, into neural impulses that the brain can understand.
What is transduction?
200
Point at the back of the retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye. This is created because there are no visual receptor cells, and thus there is a small gap in field vision.
What is the blind-spot?
300
Brief electrical impulse by which information is transmitted along the axon of a neuron.
What is action potential?
300
Branch of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, maintains bodily functions, and conserves energy.
What is parasympathetic nervous system?
300
Almond-shaped part of limbic system linked to regulation of emotional responses, especially fear.
What is amygdala?
300
States that sensation depends on the characteristics of the stimulus, the background stimulation, and the detector. Selective attention enables you to filter out and focus on only selected sensory messages. For example, while practicing your piano, you may not hear your cell phone ring. However, if you are expecting an important call, you will hear the cell phone ring.
What is signal detection theory?
300
Coiled, snail-shaped structure in the inner ear containing receptors for hearing.
What is the cochlea?
400
Principle that either a neuron is sufficiently stimulated and an action potential occurs or a neuron is not sufficiently stimulated and an action potential does not occur.
What is all-or-nothing law?
400
Small brain structure beneath the thalamus that helps govern the release of hormones by the pituitary gland and regulates such drives as hunger and thirst.
What is the hypothalamus?
400
Curved forebrain structure that is part of the limbic system and is involved in learning and forming new memories.
What is hippocampus?
400
Theory that explains how the nervous system blocks or allows pain signals to pass to the brain.
What is gate-control theory?
400
Biological processes that systematically vary over a period of about 24 hours. For example, the sleep-wake cycle, blood pressure, and pulse rate all follow these.
What are circadian rhythms?
500
Chemical substances in the nervous system that reduce the perception of pain.
What are endorphins?
500
Thin surface layer on the cerebral hemispheres that regulates most complex behavior, including sensations, motor control, and higher mental processes such as decision making.
What is cerebral cortex?
500
Minimum intensity at which a stimulus can be detected at least 50 percent of the time. For example, humans can barely detect a candle flame from 30 miles away on a clear, dark night.
What is absolute threshold?
500
Long, thin visual receptor cells in the retina that are highly sensitive to light, but not to color. These are primarily responsible for peripheral vision and black-and-white vision. Cats have better night vision than humans because they have more of these.
What are rods?
500
Type of sleep during which dreams usually occur. Often referred to as paradoxical sleep because it is simultaneously characterized by active eye movements and loss of muscle movement. This portion of the sleep cycle is longest during infancy.
What is REM sleep?
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