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- Glossary
Diencephalon
The diencephalon (midbrain) includes the thalamus and hypothalamus, among other structures. Together with the cerebrum, it forms the forebrain. The diencephalon contains centers for sensory perception, emotion, and the control of vital functions such as hunger and thirst.
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- Glossary
Color tone
One of the dimensions of color perception: the dominant wavelength.
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- Glossary
Taste bud
Taste buds are groups of taste cells in the oral mucosa and are therefore the site of taste perception.
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- Glossary
Cerebrum
The cerebrum comprises the cerebral cortex (gray matter), the nerve fibers (white matter), and the basal ganglia. It is the largest part of the brain. The cortex can be divided into four cortical areas: the temporal lobe, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, and parietal lobe.Its functions include the coordination of perception, motivation, learning, and thinking.
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- Glossary
Haptics
Haptic perception is based on the sensory cells of the skin and depth sensitivity. It is an active process that allows the shape, structure, weight, temperature, etc. of an object to be explored. Haptics is the "science of touch."
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- Glossary
Hyperbinding
An explanatory model for the phenomenon of synesthesia. Those affected relate different aspects of perception such as shapes, colors, sounds, and smells so strongly to each other that they temporarily experience them as a single entity. To a certain extent, this "connection" occurs in all people. In synesthetes, however, it is particularly pronounced and also arises in areas of the perceptual spectrum that most people would not associate with each other.
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- Glossary
Hypercomplex cell
A nerve cell in the primary visual cortex that responds most strongly to short, moving lines or corners in its receptive field. It exhibits end-stopping, meaning that the response strength decreases when the stimulus becomes longer than optimal. Hypercomplex cells are sensitive to the orientation and direction of movement of the stimulus and contribute to the perception of edges, corners, and curves.
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Merkel cells
Merkel cells are slow-adapting mechanoreceptors in the skin. They respond to continuous pressure and are important for the perception of shape, edges, and fine details.
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Parvocellular
"Parvus" means "small." In the lateral geniculate nucleus, the switching station for visual stimuli in the thalamus, the outer four layers are called parvocellular because, unlike the magnocellular cell layers, they have small cell bodies. The parvocellular system transmits information for the perception of color and fine details.
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- Glossary
Psychosomatics
Psychosomatics examines the effects of emotional and cognitive processes on the body, particularly on the subjective perception of illness. This includes mental health problems with physical consequences, such as eating disorders and hypochondria. After psychologists initially used theoretical models to explain psychosomatic phenomena, the field has also been the subject of scientific research since the mid-20th century. Since 2003, there have been officially recognized specialists in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy.
