biopsych quiz

• zygote


  The cell formed by the two merged reproductive cells
• embryo


  An organism in its early stage of development; in humans, the developing individual is referred to as an ______ between two and eight weeks following conception.
• chromosome


  A strand of DNA found within the nucleus of a cell.
• ribonucleic acid (RNA)


  A molecule that is similar to DNA that participates in the translation of genetic sequences into proteins.
• Down syndrome


  An abnormal genetic condition resulting from a genotype with three copies of chromosome 21, responsible for moderate mental retardation and a characteristic physical appearance.
• phenylketonuria (PKU)


  A heritable condition in which the individual does not produce enzymes necessary for the breakdown of phenylalanine; left untreated, the condition produces mental retardation.
• iris


  The circular muscle in the front of the eye that controls the opening of the pupil.
• retina


  The elaborate network of photoreceptors and interneurons at the back of the eye that is responsible for sensing light.
• photoreceptor


  Specialized sensory cell in the retina that responds to light.
• macula


  A 6 mm round area in the retina that is not covered by blood vessels and that is specialized for detailed vision.
• peripheral vision


  The ability to perceive visual stimuli that are off to the side while looking straight ahead.
• scotopic vision


  The ability to perceive visual stimuli in near darkness due to the activity of rods.
• photopic vision


  The ability to perceive visual stimuli under bright light conditions due to the activity of cones.
• primary visual cortex


  An area of the sensory cortex located within the occipital lobe that provides the initial cortical processing of visual information.
• ventral stream


  A pathway of information from the primary visual cortex to the inferior temporal lobe that is believed to process object recognition.
• trichromacy theory


  The theory that suggests human color vision is based on our possessing three different color photopigments.
• anomalous trichromacy


  A condition characterized by having three cone photopigments that respond to slightly different wavelengths than normal
• amplitude


  The height of a wave; in vision, the source of the subjective experience of brightness
• hertz (Hz)


  A unit of sound frequency equal to one cycle per second.
• timbre


  The quality of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds of the same pitch and volume.
• auditory canal


  A tube-shaped structure in the outer ear that leads to the tympanic membrane.