PSYB65H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Parahippocampal Gyrus, Papilledema, Membrane Potential
Document Summary
Our sensory systems appear to be extremely diverse: vision, audition, touch, taste, and olfaction appear to have little in common at first glance. Although our perceptions and behaviors in relation to them differ, each sensory system is organized on a similar hierarchical plan. Sensory receptor neurons are specialized to transduce (convert) sensory energy light, for example into neural activity. Sensory receptors are designed to respond only to a narrow band of energy analogous to particles of certain sizes within ea(cid:272)h (cid:373)odalit(cid:455)"s e(cid:374)erg(cid:455) spe(cid:272)tru(cid:373) Ea(cid:272)h se(cid:374)sor(cid:455) s(cid:455)ste(cid:373)"s re(cid:272)eptors are spe(cid:272)ialized to filter a differe(cid:374)t for(cid:373) of e(cid:374)erg(cid:455): for vision, the photoreceptors in the retina convert light energy into chemical energy, which is in turn converted into action potentials. In the auditory system, air pressure waves are first converted into mechanical energy, which activates the auditory receptors that produce action potentials in auditory receptor neurons. In the somatosensory system, mechanical energy activates receptors sensitive to touch, pressure, or pain.
