Deck 7: The Other Sensory Systems

Question 1

According to the place theory, the basilar membrane resembles the strings of a piano in that each area along the membrane is tuned to a specific frequency.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

People with damage to the primary auditory cortex hear simple sounds reasonably well.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Auditory receptors are called hair cells.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The amplitude of a sound wave is its intensity.

Question 5

The major problem with the frequency theory of pitch perception is that neurons can't produce action potentials frequently enough to match high frequency sound waves.

Question 6

The vestibular organ consists of the saccule, utricle, and three semicircular canals.

Question 7

Most cells in the auditory cortex respond best to pure tones.

Question 8

The inner ear contains a snail-shaped structure called the cochlea.

Question 9

Phase differences are useful for detecting localization of low frequency sounds.

Question 10

Conductive deafness is primarily a problem with the auditory nerve.

Question 11

The structures within the ear amplify the sound waves coming into the ear.

Question 12

The Pacinian corpuscle detects sudden displacements or high-frequency vibrations on the skin.

Question 13

Surrounding the primary auditory cortex are additional auditory areas, in which cells respond more to changes in sounds than to any prolonged sound.

Question 14

Doubling the amplitude of sound doubles the perceived loudness.

Question 15

After sound waves pass through the auditory canal, they strike the tympanic membrane.

Question 16

Inner-ear deafness, results from damage to the pinna.

Question 17

Amusia refers to impaired detection of frequency changes.

Question 18

The ability to detect motion of sounds depends on the same area of the brain that helps detect motion of objects.

Question 19

The pinna helps us identify the location of a sound.

Question 20

Low frequencies travel farther along the basilar membrane than high frequencies.

Question 21

What is the intensity of a sound wave called?

A) frequency
B) loudness
C) amplitude
D) tone

Question 22

What is the basis for differences in sensory abilities across species?

A) The larger the organism, the more intense the stimulus must be to be detected.
B) All organisms detect all stimuli, but only focus on those involved in survival.
C) Organisms detect a range of stimuli that are biologically relevant for that species.
D) The larger the organism, the larger the range of stimuli detected.

Question 23

The ____ of a sound is the number of compressions per second.

A) pitch
B) frequency
C) amplitude
D) loudness

Question 24

There are hundreds of different types of olfactory receptors.

Question 25

Opiates exert their pain relieving effects by their action in the periphery of the body.

Question 26

Itching appears to be one type of pain message.

Question 27

Endorphins are only released when painful stimuli are present.

Question 28

Across species, it appears that the sense organs are most attuned to:

A) biologically useful stimuli.
B) low intensity stimuli.
C) detecting odors of other species.
D) detection of chemical stimuli.

Question 29

Taste receptors are continually being replaced.

Question 30

Supertasters are more likely to enjoy spicy foods.

Question 31

In contrast to the other senses, taste information is received primarily by the ipsilateral hemisphere.

Question 32

What is the perception of the intensity of a sound wave called?

A) pitch
B) frequency
C) amplitude
D) loudness

Question 33

Which of the following is TRUE about the stimuli detectable by the auditory and visual systems of humans?

A) Humans can detect all sights and sounds, as long as they are above a minimal intensity.
B) Humans respond to a narrower range of stimuli than most other species.
C) Humans are sensitive to all the stimuli lower organisms can detect, as well as some they cannot.
D) Humans are sensitive to a wide range of range of stimuli.

Question 34

Pitch is a perception related to which aspect of sound?

A) amplitude
B) frequency
C) intensity
D) across-fiber pattern coding

Question 35

The cingulate cortex becomes more reactive in response to the emotional aspect of pain.

Question 36

Adaptation occurs quickly to pheromones.

Question 37

Women are less sensitive to odors than men.

Question 38

Strong pain releases both glutamate and substance P.

Question 39

What occurs to a tone as the frequency increases?

A) Pitch gets higher.
B) Pitch gets lower.
C) Loudness increases.
D) Loudness decreases.

Question 40

Following exposure to painful stimuli, brain activation is limited to the somatosensory cortex.

Question 41

The fact that each person's pinna is shaped differently from anyone else's suggests that much of sound localization is:

A) impossible.
B) learned.
C) restricted to activity of the cochlea.
D) enhanced by having small ears.

Question 42

The scala media makes up part of the:

A) tympanic membrane.
B) middle ear.
C) cochlea.
D) ossicles.

Question 43

The eardrum vibrates at:

A) a much higher frequency than the sound waves that hit it.
B) half the frequency of the sound waves that hit it.
C) the same frequency as the sound waves that hit it.
D) a constant frequency regardless of the frequency of the sound.

Question 44

The stirrup makes the oval window vibrate at the entrance to the:

A) haircells.
B) scala media.
C) eardrum.
D) scala vestibuli.

Question 45

What is another name for the tympanic membrane?

A) eardrum
B) pinna
C) auditory nerve
D) cochlea

Question 46

What is the function of the pinna?

A) It vibrates in synchrony with high-frequency tones.
B) It protects the eardrum from overstimulation.
C) It filters out distracting sounds.
D) It helps us locate the source of sounds.

Question 47

The eardrum is also known as the:

A) pinna.
B) ossicle.
C) tympanic membrane.
D) cochlea.

Question 48

Suppose the highest pitch you can hear is about 20,000 Hz. Under what circumstances will that limit change?

A) It drops naturally as you grow older.
B) It drops if you go several months without listening to any high pitches.
C) It drops only as a result of injury or disease.
D) It increases with musical training.

Question 49

Which of the following are presented in the correct order when describing some of the structures that sound waves travel through as they pass from the outer ear to the inner ear?

A) pinna, tympanic membrane, oval window, cochlea
B) tympanic membrane, pinna, cochlea
C) pinna, stapes, eardrum
D) malleus, tympanic membrane, oval window, pinna

Question 50

The structure that we commonly refer to as the ear (on the outside of the head) is formally known as the:

A) tympanic membrane.
B) stapes.
C) pinna.
D) malleus.

Question 51

Why is it important for sound vibrations to be amplified as they pass through the ear?

A) The inner membrane gets less sensitive with age.
B) More force is needed to create waves in fluid.
C) Much of the vibration is lost in the eardrum.
D) Too much is lost through friction.

Question 52

The hammer, anvil and stirrup are found in the:

A) cochlea.
B) middle ear.
C) external auditory canal.
D) temporal lobe.

Question 53

If two voices differ in their frequency, this means they differ in their:

A) amplitude.
B) number of waves per second.
C) height of each wave.
D) loudness.

Question 54

The malleus, incus, and stapes are small bones:

A) in the inner ear.
B) in the outer ear.
C) that transmit information from the outer ear to the middle ear.
D) that transmit information from the tympanic membrane to the oval window.

Question 55

The scala vestibuli makes up part of the:

A) tympanic membrane.
B) cochlea.
C) middle ear.
D) ossicles.

Question 56

The tympanic membrane connects to three tiny bones that transmit the vibrations to the:

A) cochlea.
B) pinna.
C) oval window.
D) hair cells.

Question 57

Loudness is to ____ as pitch is to ____.

A) frequency; intensity
B) amplitude; frequency
C) pitch; tone
D) amplitude; intensity

Question 58

The outer ear includes:

A) the tympanic membrane.
B) the pinna.
C) the MGN.
D) the cochlea.

Question 59

Three small bones connect the tympanic membrane to the oval window. What is the function of these bones?

A) They hold the tympanic membrane in place.
B) They convert airwaves into waves of greater pressure.
C) They spread out the air waves over an area of larger diameter.
D) They change the frequency of air waves into lower frequencies that can be heard.

Question 60

Vibrations in the fluid of the cochlea causes?

A) movement of the pinna.
B) hair cells to displace.
C) vibrations of the eardrum.
D) vestibular input.

Question 61

What is the major problem for the frequency theory of sound perception?

A) It cannot account for perception of low pitch sounds.
B) It cannot account for perception of low amplitude sounds.
C) It requires the cochlea to vibrate, and it does not.
D) Neurons cannot respond as quickly as the theory requires.

Question 62

The current view of how we perceive sounds less than 100 Hz is based on:

A) the frequency of action potentials.
B) the area along the basilar membrane that responds most strongly.
C) volleys of responses.
D) the asymmetrical positioning of an individual's ears.

Question 63

Perception of a low tone is to ____ as perception of a high tone is to ____.

A) volley principle; frequency theory
B) frequency theory; place theory
C) place theory; volley principle
D) gate theory; frequency theory

Question 64

"Every sound causes one location along the basilar membrane to resonate, and thereby excites neurons in that area." This is one way to state which theory about pitch perception?

A) volley principle
B) frequency theory
C) place theory
D) opponent-process theory

Question 65

The fact that the refractory period limits the firing rate of a neuron is problematic for which of the following?

A) frequency theory
B) place theory
C) volley theory
D) both the frequency theory and the place theory

Question 66

According to the frequency theory, the:

A) tectorial membrane vibrates in synchrony with the auditory nerve.
B) auditory nerve is responsible for perception of sound but not loudness.
C) basilar membrane vibrates in synchrony with a sound, producing action potentials at the same frequency.
D) basilar membrane is tuned to a specific frequency and vibrates whenever that frequency is present.

Question 67

Currently, the most prevalent theory of pitch perception is:

A) the frequency theory.
B) the place theory.
C) the volley principle.
D) a combination of frequency, place, and volley principles, depending on the frequency of the tone.

Question 68

What is the name of the receptor cells of the auditory system?

A) rods and cones
B) sound bulbs
C) hair cells
D) basilar membranes

Question 69

The frequency theory of pitch perception works well for ____ frequencies, while the place theory works well for perception of ____ frequencies.

A) low; low
B) high; low
C) high; high
D) low; high

Question 70

Which of the following assumptions is necessary for the place theory of pitch perception, but NOT for the frequency theory?

A) Various auditory neurons respond best to different wavelengths.
B) The response of an auditory neuron declines if a sound is repeated many times.
C) The louder a sound, the more auditory neurons respond to it.
D) Most times we hear a combination of many wavelengths, not a pure tone.

Question 71

How do sound waves ultimately result in the production of receptor potentials?

A) The tectorial membrane squeezes the auditory nerve.
B) The basilar membrane releases neurotransmitters.
C) Hair cells in the cochlea vibrate, causing ion channels to open in their membrane.
D) The scala vestibuli has receptors that create action potentials.

Question 72

In the auditory system, hair cells are specialized receptors that respond to:

A) mechanical displacement.
B) electromagnetic energy.
C) chemicals.
D) vestibular input.

Question 73

The highest frequency sounds vibrate hair cells:

A) farther along the membrane.
B) near the base of the membrane.
C) in the middle of the membrane.
D) along the entire length of the membrane.

Question 74

The current view of how we perceive high frequencies is based on:

A) the frequency of responses by each auditory neuron.
B) volleys of responses by many auditory neurons.
C) where along the basilar membrane neurons fire most rapidly.
D) the ratio of firing among three types of receptors.

Question 75

The tympanic membrane is to the ____ as the oval window is to the ____.

A) anvil; hammer
B) stirrup; anvil
C) inner ear; middle ear
D) middle ear; inner ear

Question 76

At low frequencies, the intensity of the sound is coded by the:

A) frequency of action potentials.
B) number of neurons producing action potentials.
C) oval window.
D) the relative frequency of action potentials.

Question 77

Where are the auditory receptor cells located?

A) in the semicircular canal
B) on the tympanic membrane
C) on the basilar membrane
D) in the malleus

Question 78

The fact that the various parts of the basilar membrane are tightly bound together is problematic for which of the following?

A) the frequency theory
B) the place theory
C) the volley theory
D) both the frequency theory and the place theory

Question 79

At low frequencies, our perception of loudness is determined by:

A) the number of activated hair cells.
B) the frequency of action potentials.
C) which neurons are activated.
D) which part of the basilar membrane is vibrating.

Question 80

The scala tympani makes up part of the:

A) tympanic membrane.
B) middle ear.
C) cochlea.
D) ossicles.