Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Behavioral Neuroscience
Test #2
338
Psychology
Undergraduate 4
03/20/2011

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Naturalist
Definition
a student of animal life and structure
Term
Evolution
Definition
the process by which a population of interbreeding individuals changes over long periods of time
Term
Evolution by natural selection
Definition
the Darwinian theory that evolution proceeds by differential success in reproduction
Term
Adaptation
Definition
a trait that increases the probability that an individual will leave offspring in the subsequent generations
Term
Sexual Selection
Definition
Darwin's theoretical mechanism for the evolution of anatomical and behavioral differences between males and females
Term
Convergent Evolution
Definition
the evolutionary process by which responses to similar ecological features bring about similarities in behavior and structure among animals that are only distantly related (differ in genetic heritage)
Term
Homoplasy
Definition
a physical resemblance that is due to convergent evolution, such as the similar body form of tuna and dolphins
Term
Homology
Definition
a physical resemblance that is based on common ancestry, such as the similarity in forelimb structures of different mammals
Term
Analogy
Definition
similarity of function, although the structures of interest may look different.
the human hand and an elephant's trunk are analogous features.
Term
Mutation
Definition
a change in the mucleotide sequence of a gene as a result of unfaithful replication
Term
Genetics
Definition
the study of inheritance, including the genes encoded in DNA
Term
Chromosome
Definition
a complex of condensed stands of DNA and associated protein molecules

Found in the nucleus of cells
Term
Genus
Definition
a group of species that resmeble each other because of shared inheritance
Term
Species
Definition
A group of individuals that can readily interbreed to produce fertile offspring
Term
Phylogeny
Definition
the evolutionary history of a particular group of organisms
Term
Taxonomy
Definition
the classifcation of organisms
Term
Endocast
Definition
a cast of the cranial cavity of a skull, especially useful for studying fossils of extinct species
Term
Neocortex/Isocortex
Definition
cerebral cortex that is made up of six distinct layers
Term
Encephalization factor
Definition
a measure of brain size relative to body size
Term
Australopithecine
Definition
of or related to Australopithecus, a primate genus, known only from the fossil record, thought to be an ancestor to all humans
Term
Evolutionary Psychology
Definition
a field devoted to asking how natural selection has shaped behavior in humans
Term
Zygote
Definition
the fertilized egg
Term
Ectoderm
Definition
the outer cellular layer of the developing fetus: giving rise to the skin and the nervous system
Term
Neural Groove
Definition
in the developing embryo, the groove between the neural brain
Term
Neural Tube
Definition
an embryonic structure with subdivisions that correspond to the future forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain
Term
Forebrain
Definition
also called prosencephalon.
frontal division of the neural tube, containing the cerebral hemispheres, the thalamus, and the hypothalamus
Term
Midbrain
Definition
called mesencephalon.
The middle division of the brain
Term
Hindbrain
Definition
also called rhombencephalon.
The rear division of the brain, which, in the mature vertebrate, contains the cerebellum, pons, and medulla.
Term
Embryo
Definition
the earliest stage in a developing animal
Term
Fetus
Definition
a developing individual after the embyro stage
Term
Neurogenesis
Definition
the mitotic division of nonneuronal cells to produce neurons
Term
Cell-cell interactions
Definition
the general process during development in which one cell affects the differentiation of other, usually neighboring cells
Term
adult neurogenesis
Definition
the creation of new neurons in the brain of an adult
Term
Cell Migration
Definition
the movement of cells from site of origin to final location
Term
Radial Glial Cells
Definition
glial cells that form early in development, spanning the width of the emerging cerebral hemispheres, and guide migrating neurons
Term
Cell Adhesion Molecule (CAM)
Definition
a protein found on the surface of a cell that guides cell migration and/or axonal pathfinding
Term
Retrograde degeneration
Definition
destruction of the nerve cell body following injury to its axon
Term
Anterograde degeneration
Definition
Also called Wallerian degeneration.
The loss o the distal portion of an axon resulting from injury to the axon
Term
Expression
Definition
the process by which a cell makes an mRNA transcript of a particular gene
Term
Cell differentiation
Definition
the developmental stage in which cells acquire distinctive characteristics, such as those of neurons, as the result of expressing particular genes
Term
in vitro
Definition
literally "in glass"
usually, in a lab dish, outside the body
Term
Cell-autonomous
Definition
referring to cell processes that are directed by the cell itself rather than being under the influence of other cells
Term
Notochord
Definition
a midline structure arising eearly in the embryonic development of vertebrates
Term
Induction
Definition
the process by which one set of cells influences the fate of neighborng cells, usually by secreting a chemical factor that changes gene expression in the target cells
Term
Regulation
Definition
an adaptive response to early injury, as when developing individuals compensate for missing or injured cells
Term
Stem Cell
Definition
a cell that is undifferentiated and therefore can take on the fate of any cell that a donor organism can produce
Term
Process Outgrowth
Definition
the extensive growth of axons and dendrites
Term
Synaptogenesis
Definition
the establishment of synaptic connections as axons and dendrites grow
Term
Growth Cone
Definition
the growing tip of an axon or dendrite
Term
Filopodia
Definition
very fine, tubular outgrowths from the growth cone
Term
Lamellipodia
Definition
sheetlike extensions of a growth cone
Term
Chemoattractants
Definition
compounds that attract particular classes of growth cones
Term
Chemorepellents
Definition
compounds that repel particular classes of growth cones
Term
Cell death/ Apoptosis
Definition
the developmental process during which "surplus" cells die
Term
Death Gene
Definition
a gene that is expressed only when a cell becomes committed to natural cell death (apoptosis)
Term
Caspases
Definition
A family of proteins that regulate cell death (apoptosis)
Term
Diablo
Definition
a protein released by mitochondria, in response to high calcium levels, that activates apoptosis
Term
Inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs)
Definition
A family of proteins that inhibit caspases and thereby stave off apoptosis
Term
Bcl-2
Definition
a family of proteins that regulate apoptosis
Term
Neurotrophic Factor
Definition
also called trophic factor.
A target-derived chemical that acts as if it "feeds" certain neurons to help them survive
Term
Nerve growth factor (NGF)
Definition
a substance that markedly affects the growth of eurons in sinal gaglia and in the ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system
Term
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
Definition
a protein purified from the brains of animals that can keep some classes of neurons alive
Term
Neurotrophin
Definition
a chemical that prevents neurons from dying
Term
Synapse rearrangement
Definition
also called synaptic remodeling.
The loss of some synapses ad the development of others: a refinement of synaptic connections that is often seen in development
Term
Chemoaffinity Hypothesis
Definition
The notion that each cell has chemical identity that directs it to synapse on the proper target cell during development
Term
Myelination
Definition
the process of myeli formation
Term
Multiple sclerosis
Definition
a disorder characterized by widespread degeneration of myelin
Term
Genotype
Definition
"genome"
All the genetic information that one specific individual has inherited
Term
Phenotype
Definition
the sum of an individuals physical characteristics at one particular time
Term
Hypoxia
Definition
A transient lack of oxygen
Term
Behavioral teratology
Definition
the study of impairmets in behavior that are produced by embryonic or fetal exposure to toxic substances
Term
Fetal Alcohold syndrome (FAS)
Definition
a disorder, including intellectual disability and characteristic facial anomalies, that affects children exposed to too much alcohol during fetal development
Term
Mutation
Definition
a change in the nucleotide sequence of a gene as a result of unfaithful replication
Term
Down Syndrome
Definition
intellectual disability that is associated with an extra copy of chromosome 21
Term
Fragile X Syndrome
Definition
a condition that is a frequent cause of inherited intellectual disability: produced by a fragile site on the X chromosome that seems prone to breaking because the DNA there is unstable
Term
Site-directed mutagenesis
Definition
a technique in molecular biology that changes the sequence of nucleotides in an existing gene
Term
Knockout organism
Definition
an individual in which a particular gene has been disabled by an experimenter
Term
Transgenic
Definition
referring to an animal in which a new or altered gene as been deliberately introduced into the genome
Term
Trinucleotide repeat
Definition
repetition of the same three nucleotides within a gene, which can lead to dysfunction, as in the cases of Huntington's disease and fragile X syndrome
Term
Phenylketonuria (PKU)
Definition
an inherited disorder of protein metabolism in which the absence of an enzyme leads to a toxic buildup of certain compounds, causing intellectual disability
Term
Clones
Definition
Asexually produced organisms that are genetically identical
Term
Epigenetics
Definition
the study of factors that affect gene expression without making any changes in the nucleotide sequence of the genes themselves
Term
Methylation
Definition
a chemical modification of DNA that does not affect the nucleotide sequence of a gene but makes that gene less likely to be expressed
Term
Amblyopia
Definition
reduced visual acuity that is not cause by optical or retinal impairments
Term
Binocular Deprivation
Definition
depriving both eyes of form vision, as by sealing the eyelids
Term
Sensitive Period
Definition
the period during development in which and organism can be permanently altered by a particular experience or treatment
Term
Monocular deprivation
Definition
depriving one eye of light
Term
Ocular Dominance histogram
Definition
a graph that portrays the strength of response of a brain neuron to stimuli presented to either the left eye or the right eye
Term
Hebbian Synapse
Definition
a synapse that is stregthened when it successfully drives the postsynaptic cell
Term
Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Definition
syndrome of distractibility, impulsiveness, and hpyeractivity that, in children, interferes with school performance
Term
Autism
Definition
a disorder arising during childhood, characterized by social withdrawl and perservative behavior
Term
Perseverate
Definition
the continue to show a behavior repeatedly
Term
Asperger's syndrome
Definition
a syndrome characterized by difficulties in social cognitive processing; usually accompanied by strong language skills
Term
Alzheimer's disease
Definition
a form of dementia that may appear in middle age but is more frequent among the aged
Term
Dementia
Definition
drastic failure of cognitive ability, including memory failure and loss of orientation
Term
Senile dementia
Definition
A neurological disorder of the aged that is characterized by progressive behavioral deterioration, including personality change and profound intellectual decline.
Term
Senile Plaques
Definition
small areas of the brain that have abnormal cellular and chemical patterns. Senile plaques correlate with senile demetia
Term
B-amyloid
Definition
protein that accumulates in senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease
Term
Neurofibrillary tangle
Definition
an abnormal whorl of neurofilaments within nerve cells
Term
Tau
Definition
a protein associated with neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease
Term
Amyloid precursor protein (APP)
Definition
a protein that, when cleaved by several enzymes produces B-amyloid
Term
B-secretase
Definition
an enzyme that cleaves amyloid precursor protein, forming B-amyloidm which can lead to Alzheimer's disease
Term
Presenilin
Definition
an enzyme that cleaves amyloid precursor protein, forming B-amyloid, which can lead to Alzheimer's disease
Term
Apolipoprotein E (ApoE)
Definition
a protein that may help break down amyloid
Term
Sensory receptor organ
Definition
an organ (eye or ear) specialized to receive particular stimuli
Term
Stimulus
Definition
a physical event that triggers a sensory response
Term
Receptor cell
Definition
a specialized cell that responds to a particular energy or substance in the internal or external environment, and converts this energy into a change in the electrical potential across its membrane
Term
Adequate stimulus
Definition
the type of stimulus for which a given sensory organ is particularly adapted
Term
Specific nerve energies
Definition
the doctrine that the receptors and neural channels for the different senses are independent and operate in their own special ways, and can produce only one particular sensation each
Term
Labeled lines
Definition
the concept that each nerve input to the brain reports only a particular type of information
Term
Sensory transduction
Definition
the process in which a receptor cell converts the energy in a stimulus into a change in the electrical potential across its membrane
Term
Generator potential
Definition
a local change in the resting potential of a receptor cell that mediates between the impact of stimuli and the initiation of action potentials
Term
Pacinian corpuscle
Definition
a skin receptor cell type that detects vibration
Term
Threshold
Definition
the stimulus intensity that is just adequate to trigger an action potential at the axon hillock
Term
Coding
Definition
the rules by which action potentials in a sensory system reflect a physical stimulus
Term
Range fractionation
Definition
a hypothesis of stimulus intensity perception stating that a wide range of intensity values can be encoded by a group of cells, each of which is a specialist for a particular range of stimulus intensities
Term
Somatosensory
Definition
referring to body sensation, particularly touch and pain sensation
Term
Adaptation
Definition
the progressive loss of receptor sensitivity as stimulation is maintained
Term
Tonic receptor
Definition
a receptor in which the frequency of action potentials declines slowly or not at all as stimulation is maintained
Term
Phasic receptor
Definition
a receptor in which the frequency of action potentials drops rapidly as stimulation is maintained
Term
Central modulation of sensory information
Definition
the process in which higher brain centers, such as the cortex and thalamus, suppress some sources of sensory information and amplify others
Term
Sensory Pathway
Definition
the chain of neural connections from sensory receptor cells to the cortex
Term
Thalamus
Definition
the brain regions at the top of the brainstem that trade information with the cortex
Term
Receptive field
Definition
the stimulus region and features that affect the activity of a cell in a sensory system
Term
Primary sensory cortex
Definition
for a given sensory modality, the region of cortex that receives most of the information about that modality from the thalamus or, in the case of olfaction, directly from the secondary sensory neurons
Term
Secondary sensory cortex. nonprimary sensory cortex
Definition
for a given sensory modality, the cortical regions receiving direct projections from primary sensory cortex for that modality.
Term
Primary somatosensory cortex (S1)
Somatosensory 1
Definition
the gyrus posterior to the cnetral sulcus where sensory receptors o the body surface are mapped. Primary cortex for receiving touch and pain information, in the parietal lobe
Term
Secondary somatosensory cortex (S2)
somatosensory 2
Definition
the region of cortex that receives direct projections from primary somatosensory cortex
Term
Attention
Definition
a state or condition of selective awareness or perceptual receptivity, by which specific stimuli are selected for enhanced processing
Term
Polymodal
Definition
involving several sensory modalities
Term
Epidermis
Definition
the outermost layer of skin, over the dermis
Term
Dermis
Definition
the middle layer of skin, between the epidermis and the hypodermis
Term
Hypodermis
Definition
also called subcutaneous tissue
the innermost layer of skin, under the dermis
Term
Tactile
Definition
or of relating to touch
Term
Meissner's corpuscle
Definition
a skin receptor cell type that detects light touch
Term
Merkel's Disc
Definition
a skin receptor cell type that detects light touch
Term
Ruffini's ending
Definition
a skin receptor cell type that detects stretching of the skin
Term
Dorsal column system
Definition
a somatosensory system that delivers most touch stimuli via the dorsal columns of spinal white matter to the brain
Term
Dermatome
Definition
a strip of skin innervated by a particular spinal root
Term
Pain
Definition
the discomfort normally associated with tissue damage
Term
Congenital insesitivity to pain
Definition
the condition of being born without the ability to perceive pain
Term
Nociceptor
Definition
a receptor that responds to stimuli that produce tissue damage or pose the threat of damage
Term
Free nerve ending
Definition
an axon that terminates in the skin iwhtout any specialized cell associated with it and that detects pain and or changes in temperature
Term
Capsaicin
Definition
a compound synthesized by various plants to deter predators by mimicking the experience of burning
Term
Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1)
Definition
a receptor that binds capsaicin to transmit the burning sensation from chili peppers and normally detects sudden increases in temperature
Term
Transient receptor potential 2 (TRP2)
Definition
a receptor, found in some free nerve endings, that opens its channel in response to rising temperatures
Term
A* fiber
Definition
a moderately large, myelinated, and therefore fast-conducting, axon, usually transmitting pain information
Term
C fiber
Definition
a small, unmyelinated axon that conducts pain information slowly and adapts slowly
Term
Cool-menthol receptor 1 (CMR1)
Definition
a sensory receptor, found in some free nerve endings, that opens an ion channel in response to a mild temperature drop or exposure to menthol
Term
Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP)
Definition
a neuropeptide that stimulates neurons in the dorsal horn to provide the sensation of itch
Term
Anterolateral system or spinothalamic system
Definition
a somatosensory system that carries most of the pain information from the body to the brain
Term
Glutamate
Definition
an amino acid transmitter, the most common excitatory transmitter
Term
Substance P
Definition
a peptide transmitter implicated in pain transmission
Term
Neuropathic pain
Definition
pain caused by damage to peripheral nerves: often difficult to treat
Term
Cingulate cortex
Definition
also called cingulum
A region of medial cerebral cortex that lies dorsal to the corpus callosum
Term
Analgesia
Definition
absence of or reduction in pain
Term
Opiates
Definition
a class of compounds that exert an effect like that of opium, including reduced pain sensitivity
Term
Opioids
Definition
a class of peptides produced in various regions of the brain that bind to opioid receptors and act like opiates
Term
Endogenous opioids
Definition
a family of peptide transmitters that have been called the body's own narcotics. The three kinds are enkephalins, endorphins, and dynorphins
Term
Endorphins
Definition
one of three kinds of endogenous opioids
Term
Enkephalins
Definition
One of of three kinds of endogenous opioids
Term
Dynorphins
Definition
one of three kinds of endogenous opioids
Term
Opioid receptor
Definition
a receptor that respnds to endogenous and/or exogenous opioids
Term
Periaqueductal gray
Definition
the neuronal body-rich region of the midbrain surround the cerebral aqueduct that connects the third and fourth ventricles; involved in pain perception
Term
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
Definition
the delivery of electrical pulses through electrodes attached to the skin, which excite nerves that supply the region to which pain is referred. TENS can relieve the pain in some instances
Term
Naloxone
Definition
a potent antagonist of opiates that is often administered to people who have taken drug overdoses. it binds to receptors for endogenous opioids
Term
Placebo
Definition
a substance, given to a patient, that is known to be ineffective or inert but that sometimes brings relief
Term
Acupuncture
Definition
the insertion of needles at designated points on the skin to allviate pain or neurological malfunction
Term
Transduction
Definition
the conversion of one form of energy to another
Term
External Ear
Definition
the part of the ear that we readily see (the pinna) and the canal that leads to the eardrum
Term
Pinna
Definition
the external part of the ear
Term
Pure Tone
Definition
a tone with a single frequency of vibration
Term
Amplitude
Definition
the force sound exerts per unit area, usually measured as dynes per square centimeter
Term
Loudness
Definition
the subjective experience of the pressure level of a sound
Term
Frequency
Definition
the number of cycles per second in a sound wave, measured in hertz (Hz)
Term
Hertz (Hz)
Definition
cycles per second, as of an auditory stimulus
Term
Pitch
Definition
a dimension of auditory experience in which sounds vary from low to high
Term
Fundamental
Definition
the predominant frequency of an auditory tone or a visual scene
Term
Harmonics
Definition
multiples of a particular frequency called the fundamental
Term
Timbre
Definition
the characteristic sound quality of a musical instrument, as determined by the relative intensities of its various harmonics
Term
Fourier Analysis
Definition
the analysis of a complex pattern into the sum of sine waves
Term
Decibel (dB)
Definition
a measure of sound intensity
Term
Middle Ear
Definition
the cavity between the tympanic membrane and the cochlea
Term
Ossicles
Definition
three small bones that transmit sound across the middle ear, from the tympanic membrane to the oval window
Term
Tympanic membrane
Definition
"eardrum" the partition between the external ear and the middle ear
Term
Oval Window
Definition
the opening from the middle ear to the inner ear
Term
Malleus
Definition
"hammer" a middle ear bone that is connected to the tympanic membrane
Term
Incus
Definition
"Anvil" middle ear bone situated between the malleus and the stapes
Term
Stapes
Definition
"Stirrup" a middle ear bone that is connected to the oval window
Term
Tensor Tympani
Definition
the muscle attached to the malleus that modulates mechanical linkage to protect the delicate receptor cells of the inner ear from damaging sounds
Term
Stapedius
Definition
a middle ear muscle that is attached to the stapes
Term
Inner Ear
Definition
the cochlea and vestibular apparatus
Term
Cochlea
Definition
a snail shaped structure in the inner ear that contains the primary receptor cells for hearing
Term
Scale Vestibuli
Definition
"vestibular canal" one of three prinicpal canals running along the length of the cochlea
Term
Scala Media
Definition
"middle canal" the central of the three spiraling canals inside the cochlea, situated between the scala vestibuli and the scala tympani
Term
Scala Tympani
Definition
"tympanic canal" one of three principal canals running along the length of the cochlea
Term
Round Window
Definition
a membrane separating the cochlear duct from the middle ear cavity
Term
Organ of Corti
Definition
a structure in the inner ear that lies on the basilar membrane of the cochlea and contains the hair cells and terminations of the auditory nerve
Term
Hair Cell
Definition
one of the receptor cells for hearing in the cochlea
Term
Basilar Membrane
Definition
a membrane in the cochlea that contains the principal structures involved in auditory transduction
Term
Inner hair cell (IHC)
Definition
one of the two types of receptor cells for hearing in the cochlea
Term
Outer hair cell (OHC)
Definition
one of the two types of receptor cells for hearing in the cochlea
Term
Stereocilium
Definition
a relatively stiff hair that protrudes from a hair cell in the auditory or vestibular system
Term
Tectorial Membrane
Definition
a membrane that sits atop the organ of Corti in the cochlear duct
Term
Tip Link
Definition
a fine, threadlike fiber that runs along and connects the tips of sterocilia
Term
Cochlear amplifier
Definition
the mechanism by which the cochlea is physically distorted by outer hair cells in order to "tune" the cochlea to be particularly sensitive to some frequencies more than others
Term
Otoacoustic emission
Definition
a sound produced by the cochlea itself, either spontaneously or in response to an environmental noise
Term
Tuning Curve
Definition
a graph of the responses of a single auditory nerve fiber or neuron to sounds that vary in frequency and intensity
Term
Vestibulocochlear nerve
Definition
cranial nerve VIII, which runs from the cochlea to the brainstem auditory nuclei
Term
Cochlear nuclei
Definition
brainstem nuclei that receive input from auditory hair cells and send output to the superior olivary complex
Term
Superior Olivary Nuclei
Definition
Brainstem nuclei that receive input from both right and left cochlear nuclei, and provide the first binaural analysis of auditory information
Term
Inferior colliculi
Definition
faired gray matter structures of the dorasl midbrain that receive auditory information
Term
Medial geniculate nuclei
Definition
nuclei in the thalamus that receive input from the inferior colliculi and send output to the auditory cortex
Term
Tonotopic organization
Definition
a major organizational feature in auditory systems in which neurons are arranged as an orderly map of stimulus frequency, with cells responsive to high frequencies located at a distance from those responsive to low frequencies
Term
Minimal discriminable frequency difference
Definition
the smallest change in frequency that can be detected reliably between two tones
Term
Place Theory
Definition
a theory of frequency discrimination stating that ptich perception depends on the place of maximal displacement of the basilar membrane produced by a sound
Term
Volley Theory
Definition
a theory of frequency discrimination that emphasizes the relation between sound frequency and the firing pattern of nerve cells
Term
Ultrasound
Definition
high frequency sound: in general, above the threshold for human hearing at about 20,000 Hz
Term
infrasound
Definition
very low frequency sound generally below of the threshold for human hearing at about 20 Hz
Term
Binaural
Definition
pertaining to two ears
Term
Intensity differences
Definition
perceived differences in loudness between the two ears, which can be used to loacalize a sound source
Term
Latency differences
Definition
differences between the two ears in the time of arrival of a sound, which can be employed by the nervous system to localize sound sources
Term
Duplex theory
Definition
a theory that we localize sound by combining information about intensity differences and latency differences between the two ears
Term
Coincidence detector
Definition
a device that senses the co-occurance of two events
Term
Spectral filtering
Definition
alteration of the amplitude of some, but not all, frequencies in a sound
Term
Monaural
Definition
pertaining to one ear
Term
Amusia
Definition
a disorder characterized by the inability to discern tunes accurately
Term
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
Definition
a special use of MRI that takes advantage of the difference sin how ater molecules are contrained in myelin to reveal azonal tracts connection brain regions
Term
Conduction deafness
Definition
a hearing impairment that is associated with pathology of the external ear or middle ear cavaties
Term
Senorineural deafness
Definition
a hearing impairment that originates from cochlear or auditory nerve lesions
Term
Ototoxic
Definition
toxic to the ears, especially the middle or inner ear
Term
Tinnitus
Definition
a sensation of noises or ringing in the ears
Term
Central Deafness
Definition
a hearing impairment that is related to lesions in auditory pathways or ceters, including sites in the brainstem, thalamus, or cortex
Term
Word deafness
Definition
the specific inability to hear words, although other sounds can be detected
Term
Cortical deafness
Definition
a hearing impairment that is caused by a fault or defect in the cortex
Term
Cochlear implant
Definition
an electromechanical device that detects sounds and selectively stimulates nerves in different regions of the cochlea via surgically implanted electrodes
Term
Auditory brainstem implant (ABI)
Definition
a type of auditory prothesis in which implanted microphones directily stimulate the auditory nuclei of the brainstem rather than the cochlea
Term
Semicircular canal
Definition
one of the three fluid filled tuves in the inner ear that are part of the vestibular system. Each of the tuves, which are at right angles to each other, detects angular acceleration
Term
Utricle
Definition
a small, fluid filled sac in the vestibular system above the saccule that responds to static positions of the head
Term
Saccule
Definition
a small, fluid filled sac under the utricle in the vestibular system that responds to static positions of the head
Term
Ampulla
Definition
an enlarged region of each semicircular canal that contains the receptor cells (hair cells) of the vestibular system
Term
Otolith
Definition
a small crystal on the felatinous membrane in the vestibular system
Term
Lateral Line system
Definition
a sensory system, found in many kinds of fishes and some amphibians, that informs the animal of water motion in relation to the body surface
Term
Cupula
Definition
a small feltinous column that forms part of the lateral line system of aquatic animals and also occurs within the vestibular system of mammals
Term
Vestibular nuclei
Definition
brainstem nuclei that receive information from the vestibular organs through cranial nerve VIII
Term
Vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)
Definition
the brainstem mechanism that maintains gaze on a visual object despiet movements of the head
Term
Motion Sickness
Definition
the experience of nausea brought on by unnatural passive movement
Term
Sensory conflict theory
Definition
a theory of motion sickness suggesting that discrepancies between vestibular information and visual information simulate food poisoning and therefore trigger nausea
Term
Papilla
Definition
a small bump that projects from the surface of the tongue. Papillae contain most of the taste receptors cells
Term
Taste bud
Definition
a cluster of 50-150 cells that detects tastes. Taste buds are found in papillae
Term
Taste pore
Definition
the small aperture through which tastant molecules are able to access the sensory receptors of the taste bud
Term
Tastant
Definition
a substance that can be tasted
Term
Circumvallate papillae
Definition
one of three types of small structures on the tongue, located in the back, that contain taste receptors
Term
Foliate papillae
Definition
one of three types of small structures on the tongue, located along the sides, that contain taste receptors
Term
Fungiform papillae
Definition
one of three types of small structures on the tongue, located in the front, that contain taste receptors
Term
T1R
Definition
a family of taste receptor proteins that, when particular members heterodimerize form taste receptors for sweet flavors and umami flavors
Term
T2R
Definition
a family of bitter taste receptors
Term
Umami
Definition
one of the five basic tastes, probably mediated by amino acids in foods
Term
Gustatory System
Definition
the taste system
Term
pattern coding
Definition
coding of information in sesnory systems based on the temporal pattern of action potentials
Term
Anosmia
Definition
the inability to smell
Term
Olfactory epithelium
Definition
a sheet of cells, including olfactory receptors, that lines the dorsal portion of the nasal cavities and adjacent regions, including the septum that separates the left and right nasal cavities
Term
Labeled lines
Definition
the concept that each nerve input to the brain reports only a particular type of information
Term
Cilium
Definition
a hairlike extension
Term
dendritic knob
Definition
a portion of olfactory receptor cells present in the olfactory epithelium
Term
Turbinates
Definition
complex shape underlying the olfatory mucosa that direct inspired air over receptor cells
Term
Olfactory bulb
Definition
an anterior projection of the brain that terminates in the upper nasal passages and, through small openings in the skull, provides receptors for smell
Term
Glomerulus
Definition
a complex arbor of dendrites from a group of olfactory cells
Term
Mitral Cell
Definition
a type of cell in the olfactory bulb that conducts smell information from the glomeruli to the rest of the brain
Term
Mitral cell
Definition
a type of cell in the olfactory bulb that conducts smell information from the flomeruli to the rest of the brain
Term
Pheromone
Definition
a chemical signal that is released outside the body of an aimal and affects other members of the same species
Term
Vomeronasal system
Definition
a specialized chemical detection system that detets pheromones and transmits information to the brain
Term
Vomeronasal organ (VNO)
Definition
A collection of specialized receptor cells, near to but separate from the olfactory epithelium, that detet perhomones, and send electrical signals to the accessory olfactory bulb in the brain
Term
Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs)
Definition
a family of probable pheromone receptors produced by neurons in the main olfactory epithelium
Term
Visual field
Definition
the whole area that you can see without moving your head or eyes
Term
visual acuity
Definition
sharpness of vision
Term
Photoreceptors
Definition
neural cells in the retina that respond to light
Term
Lateral inhibition
Definition
the phenomenon by which interconnected neurons inhibit their neighbors, producting contrast at the edges of regions
Term
Quantum
Definition
unit of radiant energy
Term
wavelength
Definition
the length between two peals in a repeated stimulus such as a wave, light, or sound
Term
Photon
Definition
a quantum of light energy
Term
Cornea
Definition
the transparent outer layer of the eye, whose curvature is fixed. It bends light rays and is primarily responsible for forming the image on the retina
Term
Lens
Definition
a structure in the eye that helps focus an image on the retina
Term
Refraction
Definition
the bending of light rays by a change in the dnesity of a medium, such as the cornea and the lens of the eyes
Term
Ciliary muscle
Definition
one of the muscles that controls the shape of the lens inside the eyes, focusing an image on the retina
Term
Accomodation
Definition
the process of fousing by the sillary muscles and the lens to form a sharp image on the retina
Term
Pupil
Definition
the aperture, formed by the iris, that allows light to enter the eye
Term
Iris
Definition
the circular structure of the eye that provides an opening to form the pupil
Term
Extraocular muscle
Definition
one of the muscles attached to the eyeball that control its position and movements
Term
Retina
Definition
the receptive surface inside the eye that contains photoreceptors ane dother neurons
Term
Rods
Definition
a class of light sensitive receptor cells in the retina that are most active at low levels of light
Term
Cones
Definition
a class of photoreceptor cells in the retina that are responsible for color vision
Term
bipolar cells
Definition
a class of interneurons of the retina that receive information from rods and cones and pass the information to retinal ganglion cells
Term
ganglion cells
Definition
a class of cells in the retina whose axons form the optic nerve
Term
Optic nerve
Definition
cranial nerve II; the collection of ganglion cell axons that extend from the retina to the optic chiasm
Term
Horizontal cells
Definition
specialized retinal cells that contact bother the receptor cells and the bipolar cells
Term
amacrine cells
Definition
specialized retinal cells that contact bother the bipolar cells and the ganglion cells, and are especially significant in inhibitory interactions within the retina
Term
scotopic system
Definition
a system in the retin athat operates at low levels of light and involves the rods
Term
Photopic system
Definition
a system in the retina that operates at high levels of light, shows sensitivity to color, and involves the cones
Term
Rhodopsin
Definition
the photopigment in rods that responds to light
Term
RETINAL
Definition
one of the two compnents of photopigments in the retina
Term
opsin
Definition
one of the two components of photopigments in the retina
Term
Range frationation
Definition
hypothesis of stimulus intensity perception stating that a wide range of intensity values can be ecoded by a group of cells, each of which is a specialist for a particular range of stimulus intensities
Term
Photoreceptor adaptation
Definition
the tendency of rods and cones to adjust their light sensitivity to match ambient levels of illumination
Term
Fovea
Definition
the cental protion of the retina, packed with the most photoreceptors and therefore the center of our gaze
Term
optic disc
Definition
the region of the retina, packed with most photoreceptors and therefore the center of our gaze
Term
blind spot
Definition
the portion of the visual field from which light falls on the optic disc. Because there are no receptors in this region, light striking it cannot be seen
Term
optic chiasm
Definition
the point at which the two optic nerves meet
Term
optic tract
Definition
the axons of retinal ganglion cells after they have passed the optic chiasm: most terminate in the lateral geniculate nucleus
Term
lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)
Definition
the part of the thalamus that receives information from the optive tract and sends it to visual areas in the occipital cortex
Term
optic radiation
Definition
axons from the lateral geniculate nucleus that terminate in the primary visual areas of the occipital cortex
Term
Primary visual cortex (V1) or striate cortex
Definition
"area 17" the region of the occipital cortex where most visual information first arrives
Term
occipital cortex
Definition
"visual cortex" the cortex of the occipital love of the brain
Term
Extrastriate cortex
Definition
visual cortex outside of the primary visual (striate) cortex
Term
Scotoma
Definition
a region of blindness cause by injury to the visual pathway or brain
Term
receptive field
Definition
the stimulus region and features that affect the activity of a cell in a sensory system
Term
On center bipolar cell
Definition
a retinal bipolar cell that is excited by light in the center of its receptive field
Term
off center bipolar cell
Definition
a retinal bipolar cell that is inhibited by light in the center of its receptive field
Term
On center ganglion cell
Definition
a retinal ganglion cell that is activated when light is presented to the center, rather than the periphery, of the cells receptive field
Term
off center ganglion cell
Definition
a retinal ganglion cell that is activated when light is presented to the periphery, rather than the center, of the cells receptive field
Term
on center/ off surround
Definition
referring to a concentric receptive field in which the center excites the cell of interest while the surrond inhibits it
Term
off center/ on surround
Definition
feffering to a concentric receptive field in which the center inhibits the cell of interst while the surround excites it
Term
Parvocellular
Definition
of or consisting of relatiely small cells
Term
magnocellular
Definition
of or consisting of relatively large cells
Term
Simple cortical cell
Definition
"bar or edge detector" a cell in the visual cortex that responds best to an edge or a bar that has a particular width, as well as a particular orientation and location in the visual field
Term
Complex cortical system
Definition
a cell in the visual cortex that responds best to a bar of a particular size and orientation anywhere within a particular area of the visual field
Term
Spatial frequency filter model
Definition
a model of pattern analysis that emphasizes Fourier analysis of visual stimuli
Term
Ocular dominance column
Definition
a region of cortex in which one eye of the other provides a greater degree of synaptic input
Term
ocular dominance slab
Definition
a slab of visual cortex, about 0.5 mm wide, in which the neurons of all layers respond preferentially to stimulation of one eye
Term
orientation column
Definition
a column of visual cortex that responds to rod shaped stimuli of a particular orientation
Term
Brightness
Definition
one of three basic dimensions of light perception, varyig from dark to light
Term
hue
Definition
one of three basic dimenstios of light perception, varying around the color circle through blue, green, yellow, orange, and red
Term
saturation
Definition
one of three basic dimensions of light perception, varying from rich to pale
Term
trichromatic hypothesis
Definition
a hypothesis of color perception stating that there are three different types of cones, each excited by a different region of the spectrum and each having a separate pathway to the brain
Term
opponent process hypothesis
Definition
the theory that color vision depends on systems that produce opposite responses to light of different wavelengths
Term
Ataxia
Definition
an impairment int he direction, extent, and rate of muscular movement
Term
mirron neuron
Definition
a neuron that is active both when an individual makes a particual movement and when that indivdual sees another individual make that same movement
Term
myopia
Definition
nearsightedness; the inability to focus the retinal image of objects that are far away
Supporting users have an ad free experience!