Psychology Chapter 5: The Visual System
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Psychology Chapter 5: The Visual System

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Questions and Answers

What is the function of receptors in our senses?

  • To convert light into sound
  • To perceive sights, sounds, smells, etc.
  • To transmit signals directly to the brain
  • To transduce energy into electrochemical patterns (correct)

    • What is the law of specific nerve energies?

  • That neurons can respond to multiple types of energy
  • That nerve activity is random and unpredictable
  • That the brain can perceive multiple types of energy simultaneously
  • That different neurons always convey the same type of information to the brain (correct)

    • What determines what we perceive?

  • The type of neuron, amount of response, and timing of response (correct)
  • The intensity of the stimulus only
  • Only the amount of response
  • Only the type of neuron responding

    • What type of energy are receptors for vision sensitive to?

    <p>Light</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main limitation of the opponent-process and trichromatic theories?

    <p>Color constancy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of the brain in perception?

    <p>To interpret electrochemical patterns from receptors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of electrochemical patterns in perception?

    <p>They are the signals sent from receptors to the brain</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What theory compares information from various parts of the retina to determine brightness and color?

    <p>Retinex theory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage of men have a color vision deficiency?

    <p>~8% of men</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a theory of color vision?

    <p>Color vision deficiency</p> Signup and view all the answers

    On which chromosome is the gene responsible for color vision deficiency located?

    <p>X chromosome</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do the Retinex, trichromatic, and opponent-process theories all attempt to explain?

    <p>Color perception</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the opening in the center of the iris?

    <p>Pupil</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of the lens and cornea in the eye?

    <p>To focus light</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the surface at the back of the eye that is lined with visual receptors?

    <p>Retina</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which part of the retina receives light from the left side of the world?

    <p>Right side of the retina</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of cells send messages to ganglion cells in the eye?

    <p>Bipolar cells</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is formed by the axons of ganglion cells joining together?

    <p>Optic nerve</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where do the ganglion cells send their messages?

    <p>Brain</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of visual receptors in the retina?

    <p>To detect light</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What determines the color according to the trichromatic theory?

    <p>The ratio of activity across the three types of cones</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a limitation of the trichromatic theory?

    <p>It cannot explain color afterimages</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the mechanism of the opponent-process theory?

    <p>Bipolar cells are excited by one set of wavelengths and inhibited by another</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the opponent-process theory, how do we perceive color?

    <p>In terms of paired opposites</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of a color pair in the opponent-process theory?

    <p>Red and green</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the effect of more intense light on the color according to the trichromatic theory?

    <p>It increases the brightness of the color but does not change the ratio</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many types of cones are involved in the trichromatic theory?

    <p>Three</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of each cone in the trichromatic theory?

    <p>Each cone responds to a broad range of wavelengths, but some more than others</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of amacrine cells in the eye?

    <p>To control the ability of ganglion cells to respond to visual stimuli</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the optic nerve?

    <p>To transmit visual information from the eye to the brain</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where do the axons of ganglion cells band together to form the optic nerve?

    <p>At the back of the eye</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the point at which the optic nerve leaves the back of the eye?

    <p>Blind spot</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of cells do amacrine cells receive information from?

    <p>Bipolar cells</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the function of amacrine cells in controlling the response of ganglion cells?

    <p>To control the ability of ganglion cells to respond to shapes, movements, or other specific aspects of visual stimuli</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the axons of ganglion cells as they exit the eye?

    <p>They band together to form the optic nerve</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the blind spot in the eye?

    <p>It contains no receptors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    General Principles of Perception

    • Each of our senses has specialized receptors that are sensitive to a particular kind of energy.
    • Receptors for vision are sensitive to light.
    • Receptors "transduce" (convert) energy into electrochemical patterns so that the brain can perceive sights, sounds, smells, etc.
    • The law of specific nerve energies states that activity by a particular nerve always conveys the same type of information to the brain.
    • Which neurons respond, the amount of response, and the timing of response influence what we perceive.

    The Eye and Its Connections to the Brain

    • Light enters the eye through the pupil.
    • Light is focused by the lens and the cornea onto the rear surface of the eye, known as the retina.
    • The retina is lined with visual receptors.
    • Light from the left side of the world strikes the right side of the retina and vice versa.
    • Visual receptors send messages to neurons called bipolar cells.
    • Bipolar cells send messages to ganglion cells that are even closer to the center of the eye.
    • The axons of ganglion cells join one another to form the optic nerve that travels to the brain.
    • Amacrine cells are additional cells that receive information from bipolar cells and send it to other bipolar, ganglion, or amacrine cells.
    • Amacrine cells control the ability of the ganglion cells to respond to shapes, movements, or other specific aspects of visual stimuli.

    Color Vision

    • The trichromatic theory explains that:
      • Each cone responds to a broad range of wavelengths, but some more than others.
      • The ratio of activity across the three types of cones determines the color.
      • More intense light increases the brightness of the color but does not change the ratio.
    • The opponent-process theory suggests that:
      • We perceive color in terms of paired opposites.
      • The brain has a mechanism that perceives color on a continuum from red to green and another from yellow to blue.
      • A possible mechanism for the theory is that bipolar cells are excited by one set of wavelengths and inhibited by another.
    • The Retinex theory suggests that the cortex compares information from various parts of the retina to determine the brightness and color for each area.
    • Color vision deficiency is an impairment in perceiving color differences, and the gene responsible is contained on the X chromosome (~8% of men).

    The Optic Nerve

    • The optic nerve consists of the axons of ganglion cells that band together and exit through the back of the eye and travel to the brain.
    • The point at which the optic nerve leaves the back of the eye is called the blind spot because it contains no receptors.

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    Description

    This quiz covers the general principles of perception, including the specialized receptors for each sense, and the process of vision and light sensitivity.

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