Question 1

Which list correctly orders the structures through which light must pass on its way to the retina of the human eye?

Accepted Answer

A)  pupil, cornea, aqueous humor, lens 
B)  lens, aqueous humor, pupil, cornea 
C)  cornea, aqueous humor, pupil, lens 
D)  cornea, pupil, aqueous humor, lens 
A)  pupil, cornea, aqueous humor, lens 
B)  lens, aqueous humor, pupil, cornea 
C)  cornea, aqueous humor, pupil, lens 
D)  cornea, pupil, aqueous humor, lens C

Question 2

Which receptor transduces when it changes shape and its plasma membrane becomes more permeable to sodium or potassium ions?

Accepted Answer

A)  pain receptor 
B)  thermoreceptor 
C)  mechanoreceptor 
D)  chemoreceptor 
A)  pain receptor 
B)  thermoreceptor 
C)  mechanoreceptor 
D)  chemoreceptor C

Question 3

What is an example of sensory adaptation of receptors?

Accepted Answer

A)  distinguishing between different colors 
B)  ignoring the shoes on your feet 
C)  thinking about what you would do with a million dollars 
D)  detecting sound and light simultaneously 
A)  distinguishing between different colors 
B)  ignoring the shoes on your feet 
C)  thinking about what you would do with a million dollars 
D)  detecting sound and light simultaneously B

Question 4

Which statement about the humors of the eye is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The vitreous humor fills the chamber behind the lens. 
B)  The vitreous humor circulates throughout the eye. 
C)  The aqueous humor is jellylike. 
D)  The humors help keep the outside of the eye moist. 
A)  The vitreous humor fills the chamber behind the lens. 
B)  The vitreous humor circulates throughout the eye. 
C)  The aqueous humor is jellylike. 
D)  The humors help keep the outside of the eye moist.

Question 5

The receptor potential is the

Accepted Answer

A)  membrane potential produced when a neurotransmitter molecule binds to its receptor. 
B)  membrane potential produced in the receptor cell by sensory transduction. 
C)  electrical signal produced by an action potential. 
D)  membrane potential produced at a muscle cell. 
A)  membrane potential produced when a neurotransmitter molecule binds to its receptor. 
B)  membrane potential produced in the receptor cell by sensory transduction. 
C)  electrical signal produced by an action potential. 
D)  membrane potential produced at a muscle cell.

Question 6

In stimulus detection, sensory receptor cells convert a stimulus into a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  neurotransmitter. 
B)  enzyme. 
C)  electric signal. 
D)  astigmatism. 
A)  neurotransmitter. 
B)  enzyme. 
C)  electric signal. 
D)  astigmatism.

Question 7

Mechanoreceptors are not evenly spaced on your body. What part of the body might be expected to have mechanoreceptors located closer together?

Accepted Answer

A)  eyelid 
B)  heel of foot 
C)  top side of arm 
D)  pad of toe 
A)  eyelid 
B)  heel of foot 
C)  top side of arm 
D)  pad of toe

Question 8

The nervous system determines the pitch of a tone by

Accepted Answer

A)  the region of the basilar membrane that is vibrating most vigorously. 
B)  the peak amplitude of basilar membrane displacement. 
C)  sites along the basilar membrane where vibrations are longest. 
D)  the frequency of oval window vibration. 
A)  the region of the basilar membrane that is vibrating most vigorously. 
B)  the peak amplitude of basilar membrane displacement. 
C)  sites along the basilar membrane where vibrations are longest. 
D)  the frequency of oval window vibration.

Question 9

Myopia can be corrected with artificial lenses or surgery and is generally regarded as a benign disorder. However, as myopia is also associated with more severe conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma, a change in the prevalence of myopia (proportion of the population with myopia) may be a public health concern. The graph shows the change in the prevalence of myopia in three major ethnic groups in Singapore at three points in time.
   Source: Adapted from Morgan, I.G., Ohno-Matsui, K., and Saw, S. M. (2012). Myopia. Lancet, 379: 1739-1748.
-Public health scientists conclude that the change in myopia prevalence is a result of environmental and not genetic factors. Does the graph support this conclusion?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes. All ethnic groups have similar rapid increases in myopia prevalence over time. 
B)  Yes. All ethnic groups have similar rapid decreases in myopia prevalence over time. 
C)  No. Only some ethnic groups increased in myopia prevalence over time. 
D)  No. Some ethnic groups decreased in myopia prevalence over time. 
A)  Yes. All ethnic groups have similar rapid increases in myopia prevalence over time. 
B)  Yes. All ethnic groups have similar rapid decreases in myopia prevalence over time. 
C)  No. Only some ethnic groups increased in myopia prevalence over time. 
D)  No. Some ethnic groups decreased in myopia prevalence over time.

Question 10

Which component of the human eye forms the iris?

Accepted Answer

A)  sclera 
B)  choroid 
C)  retina 
D)  pupil 
A)  sclera 
B)  choroid 
C)  retina 
D)  pupil

Question 11

If you are in an airplane encountering turbulence and you start feeling sick to your stomach, would closing your eyes help? Why?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes. It will calm you by allowing the sensory information from your chemoreceptors to properly readjust. 
B)  Yes. It will eliminate the conflict between information from your inner ears and information from your eyes. 
C)  No. It will intensify the feeling of falling by eliminating the sight of the cabin. 
D)  No. It will focus your attention on the nausea. 
A)  Yes. It will calm you by allowing the sensory information from your chemoreceptors to properly readjust. 
B)  Yes. It will eliminate the conflict between information from your inner ears and information from your eyes. 
C)  No. It will intensify the feeling of falling by eliminating the sight of the cabin. 
D)  No. It will focus your attention on the nausea.

Question 12

The hair cells in the utricle detect

Accepted Answer

A)  subsonic sound vibrations. 
B)  volume and pitch of sounds. 
C)  differences in air pressure waves. 
D)  position of the head with respect to gravity. 
A)  subsonic sound vibrations. 
B)  volume and pitch of sounds. 
C)  differences in air pressure waves. 
D)  position of the head with respect to gravity.

Question 13

Vertigo is a medical term used to describe feeling dizzy, as if everything is spinning. As it can severely compromise an individual's ability to walk or stand still properly, vertigo most likely indicates a problem with the person's

Accepted Answer

A)  eardrum. 
B)  auditory canal. 
C)  pinna. 
D)  inner ear. 
A)  eardrum. 
B)  auditory canal. 
C)  pinna. 
D)  inner ear.

Question 14

Which list has structures that are involved only in the sense of hearing?

Accepted Answer

A)  middle ear bones, semicircular canals, basilar membrane 
B)  eardrum, utricle, organ of Corti 
C)  oval window, cochlea, aqueous humor 
D)  oval window, basilar membrane, organ of Corti 
A)  middle ear bones, semicircular canals, basilar membrane 
B)  eardrum, utricle, organ of Corti 
C)  oval window, cochlea, aqueous humor 
D)  oval window, basilar membrane, organ of Corti

Question 15

A person whose eyeball is shorter than normal suffers from

Accepted Answer

A)  hyperopia. 
B)  myopia. 
C)  astigmatism. 
D)  presbyopia. 
A)  hyperopia. 
B)  myopia. 
C)  astigmatism. 
D)  presbyopia.

Question 16

Which statement about the focusing of light by the eyes is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Squids and many fishes change the shape of their lenses to focus light. 
B)  Mammals focus light when a rigid lens is moved back and forth. 
C)  Mammals use muscles and ligaments to change the shape of their lenses to focus light. 
D)  Mammalian lenses thicken when focused on distant objects. 
A)  Squids and many fishes change the shape of their lenses to focus light. 
B)  Mammals focus light when a rigid lens is moved back and forth. 
C)  Mammals use muscles and ligaments to change the shape of their lenses to focus light. 
D)  Mammalian lenses thicken when focused on distant objects.

Question 17

A common aspect of having a cold is nose congestion ("stuffy nose"). Air is not able to flow past your olfactory receptors, so you cannot detect smells. When eating, it is olfactory receptors, and not taste receptors, that detect the smells of your food and relate those to your brain as flavors.
-Suppose you have a bag of assorted flavors of candy. You close your eyes, hold your nose, pull out a piece of candy, and eat it. Then you try to describe the candy's flavor. How accurate do you think your prediction will be?

Accepted Answer

A)  very accurate, because your taste receptors can detect multiple tastes at one time 
B)  not very accurate, because you cannot fully experience the flavor of the candy 
C)  not very accurate, because the production of glutamate will be decreased 
D)  very accurate, because holding your nose heightens sensitivity of your taste receptors 
A)  very accurate, because your taste receptors can detect multiple tastes at one time 
B)  not very accurate, because you cannot fully experience the flavor of the candy 
C)  not very accurate, because the production of glutamate will be decreased 
D)  very accurate, because holding your nose heightens sensitivity of your taste receptors

Question 18

Sensory transduction occurs in the

Accepted Answer

A)  cerebral cortex of the brain. 
B)  stimulus of the environment. 
C)  spinal cord of the nervous system. 
D)  plasma membrane of sensory cells. 
A)  cerebral cortex of the brain. 
B)  stimulus of the environment. 
C)  spinal cord of the nervous system. 
D)  plasma membrane of sensory cells.

Question 19

Chemoreceptors are organized into taste buds

Accepted Answer

A)  in the upper portions of nasal passages. 
B)  on the tongue. 
C)  that are also responsible for smell. 
D)  with long cilia that are constantly in motion. 
A)  in the upper portions of nasal passages. 
B)  on the tongue. 
C)  that are also responsible for smell. 
D)  with long cilia that are constantly in motion.

Question 20

Olfactory receptor cells are located in the

Accepted Answer

A)  brain. 
B)  semicircular canals. 
C)  saccule. 
D)  nasal cavity. 
A)  brain. 
B)  semicircular canals. 
C)  saccule. 
D)  nasal cavity.

Exam 29: The Senses

Which list correctly orders the structures through which light must pass on its way to the retina of the human eye?

Which receptor transduces when it changes shape and its plasma membrane becomes more permeable to sodium or potassium ions?

What is an example of sensory adaptation of receptors?

Which statement about the humors of the eye is true?

The receptor potential is the

In stimulus detection, sensory receptor cells convert a stimulus into a(n)

Mechanoreceptors are not evenly spaced on your body. What part of the body might be expected to have mechanoreceptors located closer together?

The nervous system determines the pitch of a tone by

Which component of the human eye forms the iris?

If you are in an airplane encountering turbulence and you start feeling sick to your stomach, would closing your eyes help? Why?

The hair cells in the utricle detect

Vertigo is a medical term used to describe feeling dizzy, as if everything is spinning. As it can severely compromise an individual's ability to walk or stand still properly, vertigo most likely indicates a problem with the person's

Which list has structures that are involved only in the sense of hearing?

A person whose eyeball is shorter than normal suffers from

Which statement about the focusing of light by the eyes is true?

Sensory transduction occurs in the

Chemoreceptors are organized into taste buds

Olfactory receptor cells are located in the

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