Deck 15: The Special Senses

Question 1

The anterior chamber of the eye is filled with vitreous humor.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Static equilibrium involves the sensation of linear acceleration as well as changes in head rotation.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Without a functioning crista ampullaris,the semicircular canals would not function.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

When we move from darkness to bright light,retinal sensitivity is lost,but visual acuity is gained.

Question 5

Contraction of the ciliary muscle causes the lens to bend the light less.

Question 6

The neural layer of the retina prevents excessive scattering of light within the eye.

Question 7

Theoretically,an individual born without a middle ear would be able to hear by bone conduction with a hearing aid.

Question 8

The optic disc is forms a blind spot where the optic nerve leaves the eyeball.

Question 9

Vitamin A needed by the photoreceptor cells is stored by the cells of the retina pigmented layer.

Question 10

The mucous membrane that lines the eyelids and is reflected over the anterior surface of the eyeball is the conjunctiva.

Question 11

Ciliary muscles are considered voluntary,skeletal muscle.

Question 12

Light passes through the entire thickness of the neural layer of the retina to excite the photoreceptors.

Question 13

The bending of light rays is called reflection.

Question 14

Precision of eye movement is due to the fact that extrinsic eye muscle motor units contain only 8 to 12 muscle cells and in some cases as few as 2 or 3 muscle cells.

Question 15

In order for sound to reach the spiral organ (of Corti),the auditory ossicles must vibrate the oval window and set the endolymph in motion.

Question 16

The function of the lens of the eye is to allow precise focusing of light on the retina.

Question 17

The fluid contained within the membranous labyrinth is called perilymph.

Question 18

The structure that allows equalization of the pressure in the middle ear with that outside the body is the external auditory meatus.

Question 19

Sour taste receptors are stimulated by hydrogen ions of acidic food substances.

Question 20

Sound is generally perceived in the occipital lobe of the cerebral cortex.

Question 21

Nutrients are delivered and waste products are carried away from the cells of the posterior segment of the eye by blood vessels.However,the cells in the cornea and lens (in the anterior segment)are avascular.Which is the best explanation for how these cells are maintained?

A)The nutrients and waste products of the anterior segment diffuse into and through the vitreous humor of the posterior segment.
B)The metabolic activity of these cells is very low.They produce little waste and need few nutrients.
C)These cells,like the cells of the corneal layer of the integument are not living cells.
D)The aqueous humor is continuously replenished and flows from the ciliary process to drain in the scleral venous sinus.

Question 22

If you shine a light into one eye both pupils will constrict.The best explanation for this is ________.

A)sensory input from the retinas of both eyes converges at the optic chiasm and information from each eye is delivered to both the left and right sides of the brain
B)information from one eye is directly and immediately transferred to the other eye to maintain alignment of the eyes
C)a small portion of light always enters the other eye
D)this in fact does not occur and information from both eyes is always separated

Question 23

The sensation of loudness or the volume of a sound is detected by ________.

A)high volume sounds can travel all the way the apex of the scala vestibule with enough energy remaining to deflect hair cells
B)faster vibration of the basilar membrane resulting in a higher frequency of hair cell stimulation
C)greater movement of the basilar membrane resulting in greater deflection of the hair cells
D)vibration along a greater length of the basilar membrane,stimulating a greater number of hair cells

Question 24

A patient has a loss of hearing in only one ear.Which of the following is likely to be a result?

A)The patient will not be able to localize the origin of sounds.
B)The patient will have increased sensitivity to sound in the unaffected ear.
C)The patient will have a loss of balance with dizziness and vertigo.
D)The patient will not be able to track objects with the eye on the same side as the hearing loss.

Question 25

Overlap in the visual fields of our eyes ________.

A)leaves a blind spot anterior to the nose and in the lateral fields of vision
B)is essentially a waste of brain processing for what is essentially the same image
C)gives us higher visual acuity for small detail by doubling the number of photoreceptors that are being stimulated
D)allows us to subconsciously estimate the distance of objects based on the different angles the image strikes our two retinas

Question 26

Odorants must be volatile to be smelled.

Question 27

Which of the following is the best explanation for our perception of color?

A)Rods contain a single kind of visual pigment.
B)Cones come in three types,each sensitive to different wavelengths of light.
C)The foveae are densely packed with cones.
D)As many as 100 cones may converge on one ganglion cell.

Question 28

In a person who is color blind,which of the following would you most expect to see?

A)a loss of functions in the rods of their retina
B)an inability to regenerate 11-cis-retinal after bleaching
C)absence of green or red cones in their foveae
D)a loss of their peripheral vision

Question 29

Photoreceptors are modified neurons.However,they differ from most neurons in the fact that ________.

A)photoreceptors do not have fluctuations in membrane potential
B)photoreceptors do not release neurotransmitters
C)photoreceptors are sensitive to energy changes in the external environment
D)photoreceptors will hyperpolarize when stimulated

Question 30

Labyrinthitis is a medical condition often caused by viral infection,resulting in swelling and inflammation of the membranous labyrinth.Which of the following symptoms would you most associate with the condition of labyrinthitis?

A)auditory hallucination
B)loss of hearing
C)ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
D)loss of balance and dizziness

Question 31

Flavor preferences,our likes and dislikes are said to have a "homeostatic value".Which of the following is the best example of this homeostatic value for taste preferences?

A)The temperature,smell and texture of foods will influence its overall taste.
B)Alkaloids are chemical compounds in plants that are frequently toxic "antifeedant" chemicals.Alkaloids are often unpleasantly bitter.
C)Capsaicin is a chemical compound in chili peppers.Nociceptors in the mouth respond to this chemical with the sensation of heat.
D)Monosodium glutamate is a food additive that stimulates umami taste (gustatory)cells.

Question 32

Hair cells in the spiral organ of the ear are never replaced.

Question 33

Which of the following is the best explanation for why night vision is fuzzy and indistinct?

A)Rods contain a single kind of visual pigment.
B)Cones come in three types,each sensitive to different wavelengths of light.
C)The foveae are densely packed with cones.
D)As many as 100 cones may converge on one ganglion cell.

Question 34

Humans can smell as many as 10,000 different odors but have significantly fewer types of olfactory receptors.Which of the following is the best explanation for why humans can distinguish so many smells?

A)The belief that we can smell so many different distinct odors is a psychological process referred to as an uncinate fit or olfactory hallucination.
B)The olfactory pathway travels to location in the brain in which memories are formed and we simply mix this new sensory information with old memories.
C)The sensation of a single,distinct smell is a combination of a variety of chemicals that stimulate different combinations of olfactory receptor cells all at once.
D)Taste receptors that are active at the same time influence the subtlety of what we smell.

Question 35

The elasticity of the lens decreases with age.This leads to which of the following?

A)less light getting to the retina and diminished visual acuity
B)lowered accommodation of the pupillary reflex and blurry vision
C)a clouding of the lenses know as a cataract
D)less accommodation of the lenses and difficulty focusing on nearby objects

Question 36

Color vision has much greater resolution than night vision (vision that is mostly in shades of gray).Which of the following is the best explanation for why this is so?

A)A single cone photoreceptor often connects to a single bipolar cell and a single ganglion cell while as many as 100 rods will converge to a single ganglion cell.
B)There are many more cone photoreceptors in the eye than rod photoreceptors.
C)There are several types of cone photoreceptors,each of which enrich the clarity and resolution of vision.
D)A larger proportion of the brain's visual cortex is active during the day when our cone photo receptors are most active.

Question 37

Select the statement below that is not true with regards to the process of light adaptation.

A)Visual acuity is diminished.
B)Retinal sensitivity decreases.
C)Rhodopsin is uncoupled from light transduction.
D)The activity of rods is reduced by rapid bleaching of rhodopsin.

Question 38

Which of the following is the best explanation of why it is difficult to discriminate the color of an object at night?

A)Rods contain a single kind of visual pigment.
B)Cones come in three types,each sensitive to different wavelengths of light.
C)The foveae are densely packed with cones.
D)As many as 100 cones may converge on one ganglion cell.

Question 39

Humans can see several thousand shades of color but have cone photoreceptors that are sensitive to only three (perhaps four)wavelengths of light.What is the best explanation for why we see so many colors?

A)Color perception is achieved by activation of various combinations between the three cone types.
B)Color perception is dependent on the millions of rods as well as cone photoreceptors.
C)Shades of color are purely psychological and learned by association with age,infants only seeing in black and white.
D)Colors are added and enhanced in the primary visual cortex of the brain.

Question 40

The quality of a sound is based on the atmospheric pressure at the time the sound is generated.

Question 41

The first "way station" in the visual pathway from the eye,after there has been partial crossover of the fibers in the optic chiasma,is the ________.

A)visual cortex
B)superior colliculi
C)temporal lobe
D)lateral geniculate body of the thalamus

Question 42

Which of the following taste sensations is incorrectly matched to the chemicals that produce it?

A)salty-metal ions
B)sweet-organic substances such as sugar and some lead salts
C)umami-triglycerides and fatty acids
D)bitter-alkaloids
E)sour-acids

Question 43

Which of the following structures is not part of the external ear?

A)external acoustic meatus
B)tympanic membrane
C)pharyngotympanic tube
D)pinna

Question 44

Taste buds are not found ________.

A)in circumvallate papillae
B)in filiform papillae
C)lining the buccal cavity
D)in fungiform papillae

Question 45

Nerve fibers from the medial aspect of each eye ________.

A)pass posteriorly without crossing over at the chiasma
B)divide at the chiasma,with some crossing and some not crossing
C)cross over to the opposite side at the chiasma
D)go to the superior colliculus only

Question 46

There are three layers of neurons in the retina.The axons of which of these neuron layers form the optic nerves?

A)rod cells
B)ganglion cells
C)bipolar cells
D)cone cells

Question 47

The oval window is connected directly to which passageway?

A)pharyngotympanic tube
B)scala vestibuli
C)external acoustic meatus
D)scala tympani

Question 48

Which of the following is true about gustatory receptors?

A)Complete adaptation occurs in about one to five minutes.
B)All gustatory receptors have the same threshold for activation.
C)The receptors generate an action potential in response to chemical stimuli.
D)In order for a chemical to be sensed,it must be hydrophobic.

Question 49

Seventy percent of all sensory receptors are located in the ________.

A)skin
B)nose
C)ears
D)eye

Question 50

Ordinarily,it is not possible to transplant tissues from one person to another,yet corneas can be transplanted without tissue rejection.This is because the cornea ________.

A)has no nerve supply
B)has no blood supply
C)does not contain connective tissue
D)is not a living tissue

Question 51

Bitter taste is elicited by ________.

A)acids
B)alkaloids
C)hydrogen ions
D)metal ions

Question 52

The receptor for static equilibrium is the ________.

A)macula
B)cochlear duct
C)utricle
D)semicircular canals

Question 53

The ability to clearly see objects at a distance but not close up is properly called ________.

A)hypopia
B)hyperopia
C)myopia
D)presbyopia

Question 54

What prevents the eyelids from sticking together when the eyes close?

A)tarsal gland secretions
B)lacrimal fluid
C)ciliary gland secretions
D)conjunctival fluid

Question 55

Which of the follow types of neurons are replaced throughout adult life?

A)olfactory receptor cells
B)auditory outer and inner hair cells
C)retinal ganglion cells
D)retinal bipolar cells

Question 56

Select the correct statement about olfaction.

A)Olfactory receptors have a high degree of specificity toward a single type of chemical.
B)Substances must be volatile and hydrophobic in order to activate olfactory receptors.
C)Some of the sensation of olfaction is actually one of pain.
D)Olfactory adaptation is only due to fading of receptor cell response.

Question 57

What is the main function of the rods in the eye?

A)vision in dim light
B)accommodation for near vision
C)depth perception
D)color vision

Question 58

Tom is a 45-year-old male that has lost his ability to hear high frequency sounds.The most likely explanation for this would be ________.

A)damage to the hair cells near the oval window in the cochlear duct
B)middle ear infection
C)an overgrowth of bony tissue,fusing the ossicles together
D)a perforated tympanic membrane

Question 59

Dancers will use a technique called "spotting" when they perform spins of the body.By holding their head and eyes on a fixed point in front of them as their body spins they reduce the amount of head spinning and this prevents dizziness.Which of the following is the most likely explanation for why this works?

A)This will help to reduce the lateral flection of the head and will prevent hyper polarization or depolarization of the hair cells in the macula.
B)This helps keep the motions detected by the eyes congruent (aligned)with the motions sensed by the vestibular apparatus.
C)Reducing the inertia of head spin will reduce the flow of endolymph that deflects the hair cells of the crista ampullaris.
D)When the eyes send a static vision of stability to the brain,it is tricked into believing the body is still and therefore dizziness will not occur.

Question 60

As sound levels increase in the spiral organ (of Corti),________.

A)inner hair cells stiffen the basilar membrane
B)outer hair cells bend the cilia away from the kinocilium
C)inner hair cells bend the cilia away from the kinocilium
D)outer hair cells stiffen the basilar membrane

Question 61

The cells of the retina in which action potentials are generated are the ________.

A)amacrine cells
B)ganglion cells
C)rods and cones
D)bipolar cells

Question 62

Information from balance receptors goes directly to the ________.

A)brain stem reflex centers
B)visual cortex
C)motor cortex
D)back muscles

Question 63

An essential part of the maculae involved in static equilibrium is (are)the ________.

A)spiral organ (of Corti)
B)otoliths
C)cupula
D)scala media

Question 64

In the visual pathways to the brain,the optic radiations project to the ________.

A)primary visual cortex
B)medial retina
C)lateral geniculate body
D)optic chiasma

Question 65

The first vestiges of eyes in the embryo are called ________.

A)optic vesicles
B)mesenchyme
C)optic discs
D)optic cups

Question 66

The tarsal plate of the eyelid ________.

A)is composed of connective tissue surrounding a thin cartilage plate
B)is connected to the levator palpebrae
C)is connected to the superior rectus muscle
D)assists in the act of winking

Question 67

Motion sickness seems to ________.

A)result from activation of nausea centers in the brain stem
B)result from mismatch between visual and vestibular inputs
C)respond best to medication that "boosts" vestibular inputs
D)respond best to medication taken after salivation and pallor begins

Question 68

Most newborns ________.

A)are myopic
B)see in tones of red and green only
C)cry with copious tears
D)often use only one eye at a time

Question 69

Dark adaptation ________.

A)involves accumulation of rhodopsin
B)results in inhibition of rod function
C)is much faster than light adaptation
D)primarily involves improvement of acuity and color vision

Question 70

Which pairing of terms is incorrectly related?

A)amplitude of a sound: intensity of the sound
B)frequency of sound waves: loudness of the sound
C)frequency of sound waves: number of wavelengths
D)quality of a sound : frequency of the sound

Question 71

The only special sense not fully functional at birth is the sense of ________.

A)equilibrium
B)smell
C)taste
D)vision
E)hearing

Question 72

Which of the following could not be seen as one looks into the eye with an ophthalmoscope?

A)fovea centralis
B)macula lutea
C)optic chiasma
D)optic disc

Question 73

Another name for the primary visual cortex is ________.

A)prefrontal cortex
B)prestriate cortex
C)collicular cortex
D)striate cortex

Question 74

Conscious perception of vision probably reflects activity in the ________.

A)superior colliculus
B)thalamus
C)chiasma
D)occipital lobe of the cortex

Question 75

Which of the following is true about photoreceptors?

A)In dim light,images are focused directly on the rods in the fovea centralis.
B)Three types of color-sensitive photoreceptors exist: red,green,and yellow.
C)Rods absorb light throughout the visual spectrum but confer only gray tone vision.
D)If all cones are stimulated equally,all colors are absorbed by the cones and the color perceived is black.

Question 76

During dark adaptation ________.

A)the cones are activated
B)rhodopsin accumulates in the rods
C)the sensitivity of the retina decreases
D)the rate of rhodopsin breakdown is accelerated

Question 77

Visual inputs to the ________ serve to synchronize biorhythms with natural light and dark.

A)suprachiasmatic nucleus
B)superior colliculi
C)lateral geniculate body
D)pretectal nuclei

Question 78

Which statement about malnutrition-induced night blindness is most accurate?

A)The impaired vision is caused by reduced cone function.
B)Visual pigment content is reduced in cones more than rods.
C)Vitamin supplements can reverse degenerative changes.
D)The most common cause is vitamin D deficiency.

Question 79

The blind spot of the eye is caused by ________.

A)the macula lutea interrupts the nerve pathway
B)there are no photoreceptors where the optic nerve leaves the eye
C)an absents of cones in the foveae
D)more rods than cones within the retina

Question 80

Olfactory cells and taste buds are normally stimulated by ________.

A)stretching of the receptor cells
B)movement of a cupula
C)substances in solution
D)the movement of otoliths