PSYB65H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Optic Neuritis, Optic Disc, Amacrine Cell
19 Jan 2018
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Document Summary
Sensory receptor neurons are specialized to convert sensory energy into neural activity. Vision: photoreceptors in the retina convert light energy chemical energy action potentials. Auditory: air pressure waves mechanical energy which activates auditory receptors action potentials. Somatosensory: mechanical energy activates receptors sensitive to touch, pressure, or pain. Somatosensory receptors then generate aps in somatosensory receptor neurons. Taste & olfactory: various chemical molecules in the air/food fit themselves into receptors of various shapes to activate aps in respective receptor neurons. Receptive field: sensory region that stimulates a receptor cell on neuron (ex: what you see with your eyes is your receptive field) Optic flow: streaming of visual stimuli that accompanies an observer"s movement through space. Auditory flow: change heard as a person and a source of sound move relative to one another. Receptor density is important for determining a sensory system"s sensitivity. Ex: colour photoreceptors are small and densely packed to make sensitive colour discriminations in bright light.
