Question 1

While dining at a Chinese restaurant, Jaquan and Nelda order some fried rice with shrimp. When it comes, Jaquan says, "I really hope they use a lot of monosodium glutamate in their food!" Nelda, knowing quite a bit about the human system of taste, says "you must really enjoy foods that have the ________ flavor."

Accepted Answer

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is known to enhance the umami flavor, which is a savory taste often associated with meats and broths.

Question 2

Most of the properties that make food taste good are the

Accepted Answer

While the tactile properties of food (like texture and mouthfeel) and the activities of the taste system (which detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami flavors) do play a role in our experience of food, the vast majority of what we consider "taste" actually comes from odors detected by the olfactory system. This is why food often seems to have less flavor when we have a cold or stuffy nose that limits our ability to smell. Leptin, on the other hand, is a hormone that helps regulate appetite and metabolism and is not directly related to our perception of taste.

Question 3

During an intense game of volleyball, Shay slipped and banged her knee on the floor. "Ouch!" she cried, as she wished her brain would produce more

Accepted Answer

Endorphins are neurotransmitters in the brain that act as natural painkillers and can help alleviate pain, which is why Shay would wish for more endorphins after injuring her knee.

Question 4

Doctor Payne, a dentist, is trying to decide if he should explain to his patients the kind of pain they will endure before performing certain procedures. According to the textbook, if Doctor Payne does this, the patients will be more likely to

Accepted Answer

Explaining the pain beforehand allows patients to cognitively prepare, which can help them manage their expectations and reduce objections to the pain.

Question 5

While randomly searching through Wikipedia, you read an article on the cutaneous senses. You now understand that the cutaneous senses consist of all of the following except

Accepted Answer

The cutaneous senses refer to sensations that are perceived through the skin, including touch, temperature, and pain. However, flavor is not a cutaneous sense as it is perceived by taste buds on the tongue and other parts of the mouth.

Question 6

You are walking across campus and you notice an odor that is coming from livestock in the area. Due to neural pathways, the smell is most likely to evoke a(n)

Accepted Answer

The olfactory system is closely linked to the limbic system, which is involved in emotion and memory, making smells more likely to evoke emotional responses.

Question 7

While watching a Food Network marathon, you learn from Rachael Ray that papillae are groups of __________ that play an important role in taste perception.

Accepted Answer

Papillae are groups of receptors, specifically taste buds, that are responsible for detecting taste stimuli and play a crucial role in taste perception.

Question 8

While watching Emeril on TV one afternoon, you learn that smell is an important component in the experience of flavor. Emeril says, "In fact, the olfactory systems in humans have __________ different types of receptors that allow us to distinguish so many smells."

Accepted Answer

Humans have about a thousand different types of olfactory receptors, which allow us to detect and distinguish a wide variety of smells.

Question 9

Noreen has suffered from a serious medical condition called fibromyalgia for the past ten years, and is now in almost constant pain. According to studies discussed in your textbook, she might experience significant relief if she were to undergo a procedure called ________.

Accepted Answer

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain and has been shown to provide relief for patients with fibromyalgia.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about the taste buds is correct?

Accepted Answer

Each taste bud contains multiple taste receptor cells, each capable of responding to different taste stimuli, but they have a primary taste they respond to most strongly.

Question 11

Studies support all of the following statements regarding our ability to use olfactory information except

Accepted Answer

There is limited scientific evidence to support the idea that humans can detect pheromones that act as sexual attractants, unlike other animals where this is well-documented.

Question 12

After smashing his foot, Gwo-Ling felt no pain because messages from his brain blocked incoming pain messages. This effect is called

Accepted Answer

Analgesia refers to the absence of pain in response to stimulation that would normally be painful, often due to the brain blocking pain signals.

Question 13

When Clyde is pricked by a needle, the sharp pain signal is carried to the brain by __________ fibers. The next day, Clyde feels a dull ache around the spot where he was pricked; this information is carried by __________ fibers.

Accepted Answer

A-delta fibers are responsible for carrying the fast, sharp pain signals, while C fibers carry slower, dull, and aching pain signals.

Question 14

As soon as Rashidat caught a whiff of the cologne of the woman sitting in front of him in class, he was attracted to her. Though she was a complete stranger, her smell was familiar. He was unable to place the smell, but it brought back good memories. Why?

Accepted Answer

The olfactory bulb has strong connections to the amygdala, which is involved in emotion and memory, explaining why certain smells can trigger familiar and emotional memories.

Question 15

After an accident, Kim notices a sharp, pricking pain in her foot. Which type of nerve fiber is involved in Kim's pain?

Accepted Answer

A-delta fibers are responsible for transmitting sharp, pricking pain sensations.

Question 16

A combat soldier is shot in the leg during an intense firefight. However, he does not experience any pain until he gets to the relative safety of the field hospital. This is an illustration of natural analgesia, which involves

Accepted Answer

Endorphins are natural painkillers produced by the body that can inhibit pain perception during stressful situations, such as a firefight, leading to natural analgesia.

Question 17

Fritz has chronic back pain and seeks out the help of an acupuncturist. Which of the following outcomes is most likely?

Accepted Answer

Acupuncture is believed to help relieve pain by stimulating the production of endorphins, which are natural pain-relieving chemicals in the body.

Question 18

Chiang wished he had a date. As he changed the channels on TV one day, he heard a commercial stating, "The pheromones in our product guarantee you'll get a date the first time you use it!" That product would most likely be

Accepted Answer

Pheromones are chemicals that can affect the behavior of others, often used in perfumes to attract potential mates.

Question 19

The part of the brain that is particularly important in linking smells to memories and emotions is the ________.

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is involved in processing emotions and is closely linked to the olfactory system, which is why smells can trigger emotional memories.

Question 20

A friend asks your advice about going to see an acupuncturist to help him deal with headache pain. Based on previous research, you would expect that acupuncture would

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that acupuncture can be effective in reducing headache pain, likely due to its ability to stimulate the release of endorphins and other pain-relieving chemicals in the body.

Quiz 3: Sensation and Perception