Sleep
This internal biological clock controls functions like sleep and wakefulness, adapting our bodies to the daily cycle of day and night.
What is the Circadian Rhythm?
These visual receptors are located in the periphery of the retina, work best in low light, and are not involved in color vision.
What are Rods?
This coiled, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear contains the receptors for hearing.
What is the Cochlea?
The five basic tastes are Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter, and this "savory" taste found in meats and broths.
What is Umami?
This sense enables the maintenance of balance and is largely controlled by the semicircular canals in the inner ear.
What is the Vestibular Sense?
This term describes the smallest amount of a stimulus that can be detected 50% of the time.
What is the Absolute Threshold?
Also known as "paradoxical sleep," this stage is characterized by vivid dreams and rapid eye movements while the muscles remain relaxed.
What is REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep?
This transparent structure protects the eye and bends light toward the lens.
What is the Cornea?
In sound waves, this physical property determines the loudness of the sound.
What is Amplitude?
Unlike other senses, the sense of smell is routed through this system instead of the thalamus, explaining its strong link to memory and emotion.
What is the Limbic System?
This area of the brain, located in the parietal lobe, translates signals from the skin into touch perceptions.
What is the Somatosensory Cortex?
This Gestalt principle states that we mentally "fill in the gaps" to see a complete picture instead of disconnected parts.
What is Closure?
This sleep disorder is characterized by the frequent cessation of breathing during sleep, often lasting at least 20 seconds.
What is Sleep Apnea?
This theory proposes that color perception is controlled by two opposing systems: a blue-yellow mechanism and a red-green mechanism.
What is the Opponent-Process Theory?
The three tiny bones in the middle ear—the hammer, anvil, and stirrup—are collectively known as this.
What are the Ossicles?
This principle explains why food might taste bland when you have a stuffy nose; it is the integration of sensory processes like smell and taste.
What is Sensory Interaction?
This theory suggests that non-painful sensory input can close a "gate" in the spinal cord, blocking pain signals from reaching the brain.
What is Gate Control Theory?
A binocular depth cue based on how far inward the eyes must move to focus on an object; the more they cross, the closer the object.
What is Convergence?
According to Freud’s dream theory, this term describes the underlying, hidden, and uncensored meaning of a dream.
What is Latent Content?
The point where the optic nerve exits the retina, creating an area with no rods or cones.
What is the Blind Spot?
This theory suggests we hear different pitches because sound waves trigger activity at different specific locations along the basilar membrane.
What is Place Theory?
People with this classification have a high number of taste buds and are highly sensitive to bitter chemicals and spicy foods.
What are Supertasters?
This is the confusing sensation of feeling pain or movement in a limb that has been amputated.
What is a Phantom Limb?
This form of processing is guided by higher-level mental processes, drawing on experience and expectations to construct perceptions.
What is Top-Down Processing?
This phenomenon occurs when a person who has been deprived of REM sleep experiences an increase in REM sleep the next time they fall asleep.
What is REM Rebound?
This capability of the brain allows us to process color, motion, shape, and depth all at once.
What is Parallel Processing?
This theory explains how neural cells can alternate firing in rapid succession to achieve a combined frequency above 1,000 waves per second.
What is the Volley Theory (or Principle)?
These chemical signals are released outside the body by animals to influence the behavior of others of the same species, such as attracting a mate.
What are Pheromones?
This sense enables control and coordination over movements, such as walking or touching your nose with your eyes closed.
What is the Kinesthetic Sense?
This law states that for a difference to be noticeable, two stimuli must differ by a constant percentage (or proportion), not a constant amount.
What is Weber’s Law?