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AP Psychology - Unit 4: Touch, Kinesthesia, and Vestibular sense

Terms in this set (8)

Touch
a general term that refers to somatosensation
Kinesthesis (Kinesthetic sense)
the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
Semicircular Canal
a structure that looks like a three-dimensional pretzel, and contains fluid that moves with rotation and tilt of the head (more hair fibers, sending signals to the cerebellum)
Vestibular Sacs
connect the semicircular canals to the cochlea
Gate Control Theory
the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The "gate" is opened by the activity of brain signals traveling up the small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain
Somatosensation
the set of senses (typically encompassed by the general term "touch") that conveys information regarding the body surface and its interaction with the environment to the brain
Vestibular Sense
the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance
Sensory Cortex
the area of the parietal lobe where the sense of touch is processed
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