Please read the chapter assigned for this week.
(Reading Schedule: http://www.uni.edu/~maclino/hybrid/sp_book_s11.pdf)
After reading the chapter, please respond to the following questions:
Of the various aspects of Sensation & Perception presented in the chapter, which did you find the most interesting? Why? Which did you find least interesting? Why? What are three things you read about in the chapter that you think will be the most useful for you in understanding Sensation & Perception? Why? What are some topics in earlier chapters that relate or fit in with this chapter? How so?
Please make sure you use the terms, terminology and concepts you have learned so far in the class. It should be apparent from reading your post that you are a college student well underway in a course in psychology.
Make a list of key terms and concepts you used in your post.
Let me know if you have any questions.
--Dr. M
The topic I found to be most interesting in chapter 15 was the topic of rotation perception. If people are rotated in the dark or with their eyes closed, they feel a sense of motion that is consistent with their actual movement. However, if it continues at a constant speed, the perceived motion changes and people feel like they are slowing down. What surprised me, was that after only about 30 seconds, people do not feel like they are moving at all. This kind of reminded me of listening to the noises in class a couple weeks ago. When we were listening to the random sounds that we could sometimes make into words, those sounds also sounded like they were speeding up or slowing down. It may not be related, but it seems somewhat similar. Anyway, when the person is done spinning they experience the opposite effect and may feel like they are spinning even though they are stopped. This imbalance is due to the response of semicircular canals, which case the illusion of self-rotation.
A topic I found more uninteresting was the very first topic. The vestibular system is a set of specialized sense organs located in the inner ear next to the cochlea (a hearing organ). These organs help sense motion of the head and also the orientation of gravity as well tilt and self-motion. The vestibular system also contributes to clear vision when we move and helps us maintain balance as well.
I think the two topics I discussed are most useful to us as well as the other types of spacial orientation modalities. Angular motion is the modality that senses motion resulting from rotation. Linear motion is the modality that senses translation and the sense of tilt is the modality that senses head inclination with respect to gravity. These can help us better understand motion and spatial orientation in a simple way.
Terms: rotation perception, semicircular canals, vestibular system, sense of angular motion, sense of linear motion, sense of tilt
What I found most interesting was the concept of Peripheral structure of the mammalian vestibular system. To sense these various motions of the head, you need the sensors found in your vestibular system. The vestibular organs respond primarily to head motion—both linear and angular—and head tilt with respect to gravity. Each inner ear has one vestibular labyrinth, and each vestibular labyrinth includes five sense organs: three semicircular canals that sense rotational motion and two otolith organs that sense gravity and linear acceleration. Like hair cells involved in hearing, hair cells act as the mechanoreceptos in each of the five vestibular organs. Hair cells are cells that support the stereocilia that transduce mechanical movement in the vestibular labyrinth into neural activity sent to the brain stem. Mechanoreceptors are sensory receptors that are responsive to mechanical stimulation (pressure, vibration, movement). In the absence of stimulation, the hair cells have a negative voltage and release neurotransmitters at a constant rate, evoking a constant rate of action potentials in the afferent neurons. This results in receptor potential is the change in voltage of sensory receptor cells—hair cells for the vestibular system—in response to stimulation the rate of action potentials transmitted by afferent neurons increases or decreases following the hair cell receptor potential. When it comes to semicircular canals, the inner ear has three roughly doughnut shaped semicircular canals. Each canal has a swelling near the vestibule called an ampulla, where angular motion is detected by hair cells in the crista. Within each crista, all of the hair cells are aligned. Cristae are specialized detectors of angular motion located in each semicircular canal in a swelling called the ampulla. Each semicircular canal is maximally sensitive to rotations perpendicular to the canal plane. The semicircular canals function in pairs that have a push-pull relationship. One being bilateral stimulation of the horizontal semicircular canals as the head turns to the right. The yaw rotation produces relative movement of the endolymph in the horizontal semicircular canals on both sides of the head. The movement of the fluid bends the hair cells toward the tallest sterocilia on the right side, which depolarizes these hair cells and increases the rate of action potentials for neurons from the right side. The hair cells move away from the tallest stereocilia on the left, hyperpolarizing the hair cell voltage and decreasing the rate of action potentials for left side neurons. This response—an increase on one side coupled with a response decrease on the other side is often called a push-pull response. Another is the arrangement of the calas in funtional push-pull pairs. The two horizontal canals from one pair. The right anterior canal and the left posterior canal form another pair. Furthermore when it comes to Otolith organs the utricle is one of the two otolith organs. A saclike structure that contains the utricular macula. Saccule is one of the two otolith organs. A saclike structure that contains the saccular macula. Maculae are specialized detectors of linear acceleration and gravity found in each otolith organ. Otoconia are tiny calcium carbonate stones in the ear that provide inertial mass for the otolith organs, enabling them to sense gravity and linear acceleration. The otolith organs: orientation of the utricular and saccular maculae in the head. The saccules are oriented more or less vertically and the utricles, more or less horizontally. The striola is a structural landmark consisting of small otoconia that divides each otolith organ. In the utricular macula, the tallest sterocilia are directed toward the striola. In the saccular macula, the tallest stereocilia point away from the striola. Because hair cells depolarize if sterocilia deflect toward the tallest stereocilia and hyperpolarize if deflection is away from the tallest.
What I found least interesting was the concept of spatial orientation perception. Spatial orientation includes three sensory modalities: linear motion, angular motion, and tilt. Direction and amplitude are qualities that define each of these three sensory modalities.
The sense of spatial orientation results from a combination of information from multiple sensory systems. The vestibular and visual systems make predominant contributions to our sense of spatial orientation. The sense of spatial orientation originates with the visual and vestibular sensory receptors, but the brain processes the information provided by these sensory organs to yield perceptions that may differ substantially from the responses found on the afferent neurons. Rotation perception is where when subjects are rotated in the dark, they first feel a sense of motion consistent with their actual motion. If the actual rotation continues at a constant speed, however, the perceived motion changes—subjects feel as if they are slowing down. This effect is sometimes called velocity storage because th perception of rotation persists after the afferent signal from the semicircular canals has dissipated. The velocity storage phenomenon is interesting and important because it shows that the brain has improved on the incoming sensory information to yield a rotation perception while far from perfect is close to the actual rotation than if the perception simply followed the time course of the semicircular canal afferent signal. In addition there is thresholds, which increase with decreasing frequency. The translation perception is when subject are passively translated short distances while seated on a chair in the dark and then asked, while still seated on the chair, to use a joystick to actively move the chair to reproduce the distance that they passively translated, they do so accurately. But even though not asked to do so, they also reproduce the velocity of the passive motion trajectory. Furthermore, title perception deals with how good we are a t perceiving our tilt angle if we are positioned at a static orientation relative to gravity. Observers produce reliable answers if they indicate their perceived tilt verbally, or if they align a hindheld probe with perceived vertical or if they align a visible line with perceived vertical.
The three things that I think would be most useful to sensation and perception would be: spatial orientation, vestibular responses, and sensory integration
Some topics that relate to earlier chapters include: spatial orientation, sensory integration which goes with visual cues. Also, it talked briefly on the cortex which is devoted to processing vestibular information. Areas of the cortex that respond to vestibular stimuli also respond to visual and other stimuli.
Key Terms: receptor potential, hair cells, mechanoreceptors, cristae, utricle, saccule, maculae, otoconia,
I find the information on the hair cell very interesting. I wonder if we were to compare the amount of hair cells between species what type of information or studies we would find. How does it effect each one...interesting to think about.
Chapter 15: Spatial orientation and vestibular system was pretty interesting. The most interesting I found the discussion about spatial orientation perception: rotation perception, translation perception, and tilt perception. First of all, what is spatial orientation? It is our "sixth"sense comprised of three interacting sensory modalities which is our sense of linear motion, angular motion, and tilt.
Rotation perception is when a subject is rotated in the dark, it first feel a sense of motion consistent with the actual motion . And the subject feel change the motion for instance,m slowing down when the actual rotation continues at a constant speed. Translation perception is when subjects passively translated short distances while seated on a chair on the dark and then while still seated use a joystick to actively movethe chair to reproduce the distance that they poassively translated. In turn, tilt perception- subjects are pretty good at indicating how much they are tilted. Subjects correctly detect the direction of static tilt when tilted just two degrees off vertical in the dark.
The least iinteresting thing was about the reponses: vestibulo ocular, vestibulo autonomic, and vestibulo spino responses.
The mos useful to learn more about sensation and perception from this chapter would be to read and study more about the qualities of spatial orientation: angular motion, linear motion, and tilt. Also, coding and receptor potentail that has veey important role in spatial orientation.
The information in chapter 15 is the continuation about our senses. Spatial orientation os often called our sixth sense.
Terms:
spatial orientation, vestibular system, rotation perception, translation perception, and tilt perception,vestibulo ocular, vestibulo autonomic, and vestibulo spino responses, receptor potential.
Chapter 15 is on spatial orientation and vestibular system, so we must define these terms before we discuss the chapter. Spatial orientation is a sense comprised of three interacting sensory modalities: our sense of linear motion, angular motion, and tilt. The vestibular system is the set of five organs three semicircular canals and two otolith organs located in each inner ear that sense head motion and head orientation with respect to gravity. Now let’s talk about spatial orientation a little more. Sensing linear motion, angular motion and tilt involves different receptors and stimulation energy. Specifically, three distinct stimulation energies, gravity, angular acceleration, and linear acceleration using two different types of sense organs. The first type is referred to as otolith organs, which are the mechanical structures in the vestibular system that sense both linear acceleration and gravity. The otolith organs provide our sense of the tilt of our head as well as our sense of linear motion. The other type is referred to at the semicircular canals, which are the three toroidal tubes in the vestibular system that sense angular motion. Both types are sensitive to changes in motion. Each of the three spatial modalities have two qualities direction and amplitude. Amplitude is the magnitude of displacement of a head movement. The first spatial orientation is angular motion, or the spatial orientation modality that senses motion resulting from rotation. The next spatial orientation is linear motion, which is the modality that senses translation. The final spatial orientation is the sense of tilt or the modality that senses head inclination with respect to gravity. Another area that interested me was the section on otolith organs. As stated before the sensing of gravity and linear acceleration relies on two structures called otolith organs. One of the structures is called the utricle, which is a saclike structure that contains the utricular macula. The other structure is called saccule which is a saclike structure that contains the saccular macula. Both contain a maculae, which is a specialized detectors of linear acceleration and gravity. Each structure also contains otoconia, which are tiny calcium carbonate stones that provide inertial mass enabling the otolith organs to sense gravity and linear acceleration. One section that I didn’t find very interesting was cortical projections, I found this section hard to understand. Another area that I didn’t find very interesting was reflexive vestibular responses because it was also difficult to understand. One topic I would to cover in class is sensory integration as well as the peripheral structure of the mammalian vestibular system.
Terms: Vestibular system, spatial orientation, otolith organs, semicircular canals, amplitude, sense of angular motion, sense of linear motion, sense of tilt, utricle, saccule, maculae, otoconia
Chapter 15 discusses Spatial Orientation and the Vestibular System. The vestibular system is a set of specialized sense organs located in the inner ear right next to the chochlea. Taken together, the senses of tilt and self-motion comprise our sense of spatial orientation. The structure dictating this are the hair cells in the semicircular canals. The hair cells transducer mechanical movement into neural activity that is sent to the brain by fluid flowing over the hairs and exciting the receptive neurons. The canals are set up in such a way that they can detect all forms of movement and rotation and each dimension. (X,Y, and Z)
The most interesting part of the chapter was rotation perception. Rotation perception is when an object is moved a sense of motion is felt that is consistent with the movement. The movement stays the same but the perceived motion slows down and after about 30 seconds the motion isn’t felt anymore at all. I found this part to be very interesting along with the part that takes me back to childhood when I would go around on the merry go round multiple times and when I got off I had the illusion of self-rotation.
The least interesting part of the chapter was beginning of the chapter about the structure of the vestibular system. This section talked about how the hair cells act as mechanoreceptors. The section also discussed the receptor potential which is the change in the voltage in the hair cells in the vestibular system in response to stimulation. It then goes on to discuss the semicircular canals and the otolith organs which are composed of the saccule, utricle, macula and otoconia.
Three parts of the chapter that would be useful in understanding sensation and perception are sensory integration, spatial orientation perception and reflexive vestibular responses.
Terms: Rotation perception, hair cells, mechanoreceptors, receptor potential, vestibular system, semicircular canals, otolith organs, saccule, utricle, macula, otoconia
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Unfortunately I didn't find anything from this chapter interesting and for some reason I found it extremely difficult to read.
The chapter starts by talking about the vestibular system or vestibular labyrinth which is a set of 5 organs which is located in the inner ear. This system is responsible for sensing motion of our head and the orientation of gravity. The chapter also discusses spatial orientation which is the senses of linear and angular motion and tilt. There are 2 basic qualities of spatial orientation, direction and tilt.
The structure of the vestibular system is extremely small but very complex. Each of our ears has a vestibular labyrinth which is located right next to the cochlea in the inner ear. Each vestibular system has five sense organs: three semicircular canals for sensing rotational motion and 2 otlith organs to sense gravity and linear acceleration.
The vestibular system is the set of sense organs located within the ear right next to the cochlea. This system gives us a sense motion for our head and “head orientation” with respect to gravity.
Furthermore, our vestibular system gives us our understanding spatial orientation. There are three factors of the vestibular system or three “sensory modalities”; the senses are linear motion(“the spatial orientation modality that senses translation”), angular motion(“the spatial orientation modality that senses motion resulting from rotation”), and tilt(“the spatial orientation modality that senses head inclination with respect to gravity”).
Otolith organs sense both linear acceleration and gravity and the semicircular canals sense angular motion. Each of the three spatial orientation modalities includes two qualities: direction and amplitude. Amplitude is the magnitude of displacement of a head movement by tilt, rotation, and translation.
Hair hairs within the vestibular system also are involved with hearing, they act as the mechanoreceptors or sensory receptors in each of the five vestibular organs. Pressure hairs felt by the hairs send information. Changes in stimulation result in changes in the hair cell voltage called receptor potential.
The book goes into more detail about the semicircular canals. This canal carved out of the bone, is filled with a fluid. The inner ear contains three semicircular canals- horizontal, anterior, and posterior cannals. These help detect angular motion by sensing direction and amplitude. Linear acceleration is detected by our otolith organs.
Thus the vestibular system is major in spatial orientation. Each vestibular signal combines with information. I think it was interesting to think about we respond to all this without thinking. Furthermore, our autonomic nervous system is very connected by the vestibular system, like when we get nausea on a boat.
This chapter was a to take in but every informational.
What I found most interesting was the three axes of movement coded by the vestibular system? The axes are x-axis, the y-axis and the z-axis. The x-axis is the axis of motion forward and backward. The y-axis is the axis of motion leftward and rightward. And the z-axis is the axis of motion upward and downward. The vestibular system is the set of five organs located in each inner ear that sense head motion and head orientation with respect to gravity. This can also be called vestibular labyrinth. The organs consist of three semicircular canals and two otolith organs. The semicircular canals are the three toroidal tubes in the vestibular system that sense angular motion. The otolith organs are the mechanical structures in the vestibular system that sense both linear acceleration and gravity. One of the two otolith organs is a saclike structure that contains the uticular macula and it is called utricle. The second of the otolith organs is the saccule which is also a saclike structure that contains the saccular macula. I have never heard of this information before and that is why it is oddly interesting to me.
I found hair cells least interesting. Hair cells are cells that support the stereocilia that transduce mechanical movement in the vestibular labyrinth into neural activity sent to the brain stem. Hair cells act like mechanoreceptors in each of the five vestibular organs talked about in the first paragraph. Mechanoreceptors are sensory receptors that are responsive to mechanical stimulation like pressure, vibration, movement. I think of hair cells and how they play a role everywhere like on the skin or in the nose.
The three things I read about in Chapter 15 that I think will be the most useful for me in understanding Sensation & Perception was the vestibular system, spatial orientation and sensory integration. The spatial orientation is a sense comprised of three interacting sensory modalities: our senses of linear motion, angular motion, and tilt. They are all main topic of the chapter.
In earlier chapters we talked about motion sickness. Motion sickness can be very serious. Mal de Debarquement Syndrome is one of those very serious motion sickness syndromes. Mal de Debarquement is an imbalance that is sometimes accompanied by motion sickness and by swaying, rocking, or a tilting perceptions. It may also cause this sensations after spending a lot of time in the ocean. It can give you the feeling of gentle rocking of the waves even though you know you are lying perfectly still. These symptoms are bothersome but typically dissipate within a few hours. It is generally believed that these perceptions are an after-effect of adaptation. Specifically, you adapt to the rocking motion experienced while on the boat. This adaptation is appropriate while you are on board the boat but is inappropriate once you are back on firm ground, which leads to transient perceptions of disorientation, imbalance, and rocking that appear when you first debark and then dissipate as you readapt to firm ground. While relatively rare, some people do not readily readapt, which leads to a clinical syndrome called Mal de Debarquement syndrome. For these patients, the symptoms of spatial disorientation, imbalance, and rocking last a month or more. In extreme cases, the symptoms can last for years and can be very debilitating. Why some individuals are unable to readapt to the normal situation of standing on firm ground remains a mystery.
TERMS: x-axis, z-axis, vestibular system, y-axis , otolith organs, semicircular canals , utricle, saccule, saccular macula, uticular macula , hair cells , spatial orientation , sensory integration, motion sickness, Mal de Debarquement Syndrome