PSYA01H3 Chapter Notes -Ganglion Cell Layer, Detection Theory, Radiant Energy
Document Summary
Our senses allow us to experience the world. Sensation the detection of the elementary properties of a stimulus (brightness, colour, warmth) [red] Humans are capable of sensing more than the principle 5 senses (visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory, and somatosensory) humans can also detect temperature, vibration, pain and more. Perception is the detection of more complex properties of a stimulus (location, movements)[red apple] Transduction is the conversion of physical stimuli into changes in the activity of receptor cells of sensory organs (environmental events translated into neural activity by the sense organs). Different sense organs are sensitive to different kinds of energy. Sense organs detect stimuli (light, temp ) info about stimuli is transmitted to the brain by nerve impulses action potential in sensory nerves the brain analyzes. For most senses neurons known as receptor cells release chemical transmitter substances that stimulate other neurons (changes rate of firing the action potential). Action potentials are fixed (size and duration) and cannot be changed.
