What is sensation? Sensation is the process by which our sense organs respond to and detect external or internal stimuli.
What are the five traditional senses? The five traditional senses are vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
What is the clear, protective outer layer of the eye called? The cornea is the clear, protective outer layer of the eye.
What part of the eye controls the size of the pupil? The iris controls the size of the pupil.
What are the two types of photoreceptor cells in the retina? The two types are rods and cones.
Where is the area of sharpest vision in the retina? The fovea is the area of sharpest vision in the retina.
What is the point where the optic nerve leaves the eye called? It is called the blind spot.
What is the dimension of sound that corresponds to its frequency? Pitch corresponds to the frequency of a sound wave.
Explain the process of accommodation in the eye. Accommodation is the process by which the lens changes its shape (becomes thicker or thinner) to focus light rays from objects at different distances precisely onto the retina.
How do rods and cones differ in their functions? Rods are sensitive to dim light and are responsible for black, white, and gray vision (night vision). Cones are sensitive to bright light and are responsible for color vision and fine detail.
What is the role of the optic chiasm? The optic chiasm is the point where the optic nerves from each eye cross. Here, information from the right visual field of both eyes is sent to the left hemisphere, and information from the left visual field is sent to the right hemisphere.
How does dark adaptation occur? Dark adaptation is the process where the eyes become more sensitive to light in low illumination. It occurs as the chemical rhodopsin in the rods regenerates, allowing them to function effectively in dim light.
What is the Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory of color vision? This theory proposes that the retina contains three types of color receptors (cones) that are most sensitive to red, green, or blue. All the colors we perceive are created by the combined stimulation of these cones.
How does the Opponent-Process Theory explain afterimages? The Opponent-Process Theory proposes that color vision is based on three opposing pairs: red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white. When one member of a pair is overstimulated and fatigues, the opposing color is perceived, creating an afterimage.
What is the difference between conduction deafness and nerve deafness? Conduction deafness is caused by problems in the outer or middle ear that prevent sound vibrations from reaching the cochlea. Nerve deafness is caused by damage to the hair cells in the cochlea or to the auditory nerve itself.
How do the semicircular canals contribute to our sense of balance? The semicircular canals contain fluid and hair cells that detect the rotation and movement of the head, sending information about balance and spatial orientation to the brain.
Explain how sound waves are transmitted through the ear to the brain. Sound waves enter the outer ear, vibrate the eardrum, which moves the ossicles (hammer, anvil, stirrup) in the middle ear. The stirrup vibrates the oval window, creating fluid waves in the cochlea. These waves bend hair cells on the basilar membrane, triggering neural impulses that are sent via the auditory nerve to the brain.
When you enter a dark movie theater, you initially can’t see well, but soon you can. This process is called ________. Dark Adaptation.
A person with red-green color blindness is missing or has defective ________. Cones (specifically, the red or green cones).
The amplitude of a sound wave determines our perception of its ________. Loudness (or volume).
If a person has damage to the hair cells in their cochlea, they would likely be diagnosed with ________. Nerve Deafness (or sensorineural hearing loss).
After staring at a green square for a minute, you look at a white wall and see a red square. This is an ________, explained by the ________ theory. Afterimage; Opponent-Process theory.
Which theory of pitch perception best explains how we hear low-frequency sounds? The Frequency Theory best explains how we hear low-frequency sounds.
A person has difficulty seeing fine details and colors. Which photoreceptors are primarily involved in these tasks? Cones are primarily involved in seeing fine details and colors.
What part of the ear is responsible for amplifying sound vibrations from the eardrum to the oval window? The ossicles (hammer, anvil, stirrup) in the middle ear are responsible for amplifying the vibrations.
