PSY290H5 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Visual Cortex, Sensory Neuron, Visual Acuity
Document Summary
When we look at sensory systems, were looking at systems designed to extract information from and respond to an environment. Interactive systems are important and should be shaped by natural selection. 350nm visible spectrum is small out of all electromagnetic currents combined. What we see isn"t a physical characteristic it"s a sensory perception. We don"t perceive everything limited by sensory system. Uv for insects looking for pollinating flowers costly. Degrades our visual acuity shorter wavelengths bend light a lot. Different qualities of stimuli, kinds of sensory receptor, similar characteristics of all sensory systems. Quality of stimuli coded by distinct kinds of receptors. All sensory receptors have to take information from environment and change it into a neural signal basis of transduction need depolarization. Pachninan corpuscle lined with sodium channels that deform in response to mechanical stimulation- movement of skin or change of skin just under epidermis pretty sensitive. Most responsible for broad sense of touch and grasp.
