Deck 50: Sensation and Movement in Animals

Question 1

Which of the following lists the correct sequence of sensory processing?

A) stimulus reception → transmission → transduction → perception
B) stimulus reception → transduction → transmission → perception
C) perception → transduction → transmission → stimulus reception
D) transmission → stimulus reception → perception → transduction

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following are found in statocysts?

A) mechanoreceptors used to detect orientation relative to gravity
B) chemoreceptors used in selecting migration routes
C) photoreceptors used in setting biological rhythms
D) thermoreceptors used in prey detection

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following responds to capsaicin?

A) cold temperature
B) hot temperature
C) odor of pepper
D) deep pressure

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Immediately after putting on a shirt, you are aware of the shirt touching your skin. After a few minutes, this perception fades. Which of the following processes results in the decreased responsiveness despite continued stimulation?

A) sensory adaptation
B) accommodation
C) reduced motor unit recruitment
D) reduced receptor amplification

Question 5

Use the figure to answer the following question. What is detected by the structure diagrammed in the figure above?

A) the velocity of movement of water past the skin of a fish
B) varying amplitudes of sound
C) orientation of the body with respect to gravity
D) orientation of the body with respect to magnetic north

Question 6

A given photon of light may trigger an action potential with thousands of times more energy. Which of the following is often involved in the amplification of the signal strength in a sensory cell?

A) the receptor
B) ion channels
C) enzyme-catalyzed reactions
D) glutamate

Question 7

What type of receptors is in the appendages projecting from the rostral area of star-nosed moles?

A) chemoreceptors
B) mechanoreceptors
C) electromagnetic receptors
D) photoreceptors

Question 8

What conversion of sensory input occurs in the mammalian middle ear?

A) air pressure waves to fluid pressure waves
B) fluid pressure waves to air pressure waves
C) air pressure waves to nerve impulses
D) fluid pressure waves to nerve impulses

Question 9

Which of the following events will produce dizziness?

A) the hair cells in the cochlea move more than their normal limits
B) moving fluid in the semicircular canals encounters a stationary cupula
C) vibrations in the oval window exceed vibrations in the round window
D) the basilar membrane makes physical contact with the tectorial membrane

Question 10

What do all sensory receptors use to generate a receptor potential?

A) ion channels
B) gap junctions
C) changes in the cytoskeleton
D) neurotransmitters

Question 11

What do we call the conversion of a stimulus into an action potential by a receptor cell?

A) integration
B) transmission
C) transduction
D) amplification

Question 12

Damage to which of the following would be expected to produce partial or complete loss of the sensation of movement, position, and equilibrium?

A) hair cells in the utricle and saccule
B) axons of the neurons associated with each hair cell that carry information to the brain
C) hair cells in the cochlea
D) tympanic membrane

Question 13

A person able to hear only low-frequency sounds would probably have which of the following structural problems in the ear?

A) The tympanum is damaged because of chronic ear infections.
B) The basilar membrane is stiffened along its entire length.
C) The ear ossicles are abnormally thickened.
D) There is a loss of hair cell function in all but the apex of the basilar membrane.

Question 14

Which type of receptor is most likely activated in the antennae of a moth when detecting pheromones?

A) thermoreceptors
B) mechanoreceptors
C) chemoreceptors
D) electroreceptors

Question 15

Which of the following is the first step of a sensory pathway?

A) transduction
B) transmission
C) sensory reception
D) perception

Question 16

Which structure is responsible for perception in a shark, salamander, or turtle?

A) at the synapse of neurons involved in sensory reception
B) at the junction between sensory cells and afferent neurons
C) within ganglia the receive multiple afferent neuronal input
D) in the brain

Question 17

What is the function of the round window in the mammalian inner ear?

A) it dampens sound waves
B) it amplifies sound waves
C) it distinguishes between different amplitudes of sound waves
D) it distinguishes between different frequencies of sound waves

Question 18

A physiologist is studying the homeostatic control of blood pH. What type of receptor is most likely responsible for detecting changes in blood pH?

A) mechanoreceptors
B) electromagnetic receptors
C) photoreceptors
D) chemoreceptors

Question 19

During an auditory transduction, across what membrane does ion flow vary?

A) tectorial
B) round-window
C) hair cell
D) basilar

Question 20

What sensation would likely be produced by artificial electrical stimulation of a human's capsaicin-sensitive neurons?

A) cold temperature
B) hot temperature
C) tactile stimulus
D) deep pressure

Question 21

Elephants hear sounds that are too low pitched for humans to hear. Which of the following best explains the differences in sensitivity?

A) arrangement and shape of the ossicles
B) flexibility of the basilar membrane in the cochlea
C) size and flexibility of the tympanic membrane (eardrum)
D) size and shape of the outer ear

Question 22

In a mammalian visual system, where is visual information processed and integrated?

A) the cerebral cortex
B) the retina
C) the optic nerve
D) the optic chiasm

Question 23

What is the consequence of lateral inhibition via horizontal cells in the mammalian retina?

A) the habituation of vision
B) the enhancement of visual contrast
C) the prevention of bleaching in bright light
D) the recycling of neurotransmitters

Question 24

Which of the following is a characteristic found in grasshoppers that makes it very difficult to sneak up on them?

A) excellent hearing for detecting predators
B) compound eyes with multiple ommatidia
C) four sets of eyes along the dorsal ridge of the abdomen
D) an eye with multiple fovea

Question 25

Which of the following generates the force of contraction of skeletal muscle cells?

A) myosin filaments coil up and shorten
B) sarcomeres coil up and shorten
C) actin cross-bridges bind to myosin and transition from a high-energy to a low-energy state
D) myosin cross-bridges bind to actin and transition from a high-energy to a low-energy state

Question 26

The genes that specify where and when photoreceptors arise during embryonic development are shared among flatworms, annelids, arthropods, and vertebrates. What can we conclude from this observation?

A) Members of these four groups are more closely related to each other than to other groups.
B) What humans see is very similar to the images seen by flatworms, annelids, and arthropods.
C) The genetic underpinnings of all photoreceptors were present in the earliest bilaterian animals.
D) A single-lens eye has been favored throughout most of animal evolution.

Question 27

What is the relationship between the receptors and neuronal pathways for taste and smell?

A) Taste and smell share the same receptors but use different neuronal pathways.
B) Taste and smell use different receptors but share the same neuronal pathways.
C) Taste and smell each rely upon only 5 taste/smell sensations, but use different neuronal pathways.
D) The receptors and neuronal pathways for taste and smell are independent.

Question 28

Which flavor has more than 30 different receptor proteins?

A) bitter
B) sweet
C) umami
D) salt

Question 29

Which of the following are present in high densities in both smooth and skeletal muscle cells?

A) troponin complexes
B) thin filaments
C) T tubules
D) intercalated disks

Question 30

Compared to glycolytic skeletal muscle fibers, oxidative fibers ________.

A) have a lower concentration of myoglobin
B) use glycolysis as their primary source of ATP
C) have a larger diameter
D) are more resistant to fatigue

Question 31

The fovea in the human retina has a high concentration of ________.

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

Question 32

What cells provide sensory transduction of light in the vertebrate retina?

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

Question 33

Axons of olfactory cells that express the same olfactory receptor transmit action potentials to the same small region of the ________.

A) gustatory complex
B) olfactory bulb
C) occipital lobe
D) posterior pituitary gland

Question 34

Which of the following is a difference between the vision of a honeybee and the vision of a human?

A) only humans can detect color
B) only human eyes use a lens
C) only bees can detect ultraviolet light
D) only bees can detect motion

Question 35

Two students studying physiology taste a known "bitter" substance, and both report sensing bitterness. They then sample another substance. With the new substance, student A reports sensing both a bitter taste and a salty taste, but student B reports only a salty taste. Which of the following best explains the observations from the experiment?

A) Student A had an allergic reaction to the food, causing her to perceive the food as being bitter.
B) Student B has a protein receptor capable of detecting a bitter molecule found in that substance, whereas student A lacks that particular protein receptor.
C) Student A has a protein receptor capable of detecting a bitter molecule found in that substance, whereas student B lacks that particular protein receptor.
D) Student A has normal saliva, whereas student B's saliva is more alkaline than normal.

Question 36

What is the main cause of symptoms of myasthenia gravis?

A) motor neurons lose their myelination and their ability to convey action potentials
B) a person produces antibodies to acetylcholine receptors
C) ATP production becomes uncoupled from mitochondrial electron transport
D) troponin molecules lose their ability to bind calcium ions

Question 37

In the olfactory receptor cells of mammals, what binds to specific odorant molecules?

A) G protein-coupled receptor proteins
B) ligand-gated ion channels
C) acetylcholine receptors
D) glutamate receptors

Question 38

Which of the following would stimulate the umami receptor?

A) chocolate milk
B) a slice of roast beef
C) acidic orange juice
D) salt water

Question 39

Hair cells in the vertebrate ear are responsible for transducing sound pressure waves. What causes ion channels in the hair cell membrane to open?

A) a chemical ligand binds to the ion channel
B) light is absorbed by a molecule in the membrane
C) the cell membrane reaches a threshold voltage
D) the bending of hairlike projections on the hair cells

Question 40

Which of the following describes the change in the membrane potential of rod cells upon exposure to light?

A) depolarization due to the opening of sodium channels
B) hyperpolarization due to the closing of sodium channels
C) depolarization due to the opening of potassium channels
D) hyperpolarization due to the closing of potassium channels

Question 41

What causes the striated patterns seen in skeletal muscle?

A) aligned borders of sarcomeres
B) regular patches of myosin-binding sites along the lengths of thin filaments
C) repeated patches of myosin heads along the length of thick filaments
D) a repeated pattern of thick and thin regions of the sarcoplasmic reticulum

Question 42

What causes the darker color of dark meat in chickens?

A) an abundance of myoglobin in the dark meat muscle cells
B) the higher density of mitochondria in dark meat muscle cells
C) the abundant sarcoplasmic reticulum in dark meat muscle cells
D) the accumulation of blood within dark meat muscle cells

Question 43

Which of the following structures is responsible for movement of action potentials from one contractile cell to the next in the mammalian heart?

A) chemical synapses using acetylcholine
B) chemical synapses using norepinephrine
C) intercalated disks
D) non-myelinated motor neurons

Question 44

Which of the following is most likely a difference between the leg muscles of an Olympic sprinter and the leg muscles of an Olympic marathon runner?

A) per gram, the sprinter's muscles would have more mitochondria than the marathon runner's muscles
B) per gram, the marathon runner's muscles would contain more myoglobin than the sprinter's muscles
C) the marathon runner's muscles would have a faster rate of contraction than the sprinter's muscles
D) per gram, the sprinter's muscles would use more oxygen than the marathon runner's muscles

Question 45

The muscles of a recently deceased human can remain in a contracted state, termed rigor mortis, for several hours. What prevents the muscles from relaxing soon after death?

A) the depletion of ATP required to break actin-myosin bonds
B) calcium ions cannot bind to the troponin complex
C) myoglobin is overwhelmed by a buildup of carbon dioxide
D) sodium ions required for action potentials are concentrated outside the muscle cells

Question 46

Standing in line, waiting to board a bus, you leave your backpack on the ground. Deciding to move your backpack you pick it up and set it down close by. Your biceps and other muscles contract when you lift up the backpack and relax when you set it down. Which of the following is the most likely reason that the biceps extended back to its original length?

A) the weight of the backpack extended the biceps when the biceps relaxed
B) calcium was returned to the sarcoplasmic reticulum, allowing myosin heads to push the actin fibers apart
C) when myosin heads detach from actin filaments, they help to extend the actin back to its extended length
D) tropomyosin, a regulatory protein, binds to exposed myosin-binding sites causing actin filaments to uncoil and extend back to their original uncontracted lengths.

Question 47

Which of the following are connected by a ball-and-socket joint?

A) the radius to the ulna
B) the radius to the humerus
C) the ulna to the humerus
D) the humerus to the scapula

Question 48

Which of the following organisms moves by peristalsis?

A) octopus
B) snake
C) earthworm
D) caterpillar

Question 49

Which of the following organisms has an endoskeleton?

A) earthworm
B) beetle
C) shark
D) oyster

Question 50

Which of the following organisms is most challenged by drag when moving quickly?

A) a shark
B) a rattlesnake
C) a cheetah
D) an earthworm

Question 51

The venom of some cobras contains a mixture of substances that have a variety of physiological effects. One substance in the venom works by preventing acetylcholine from binding to muscle receptors. Which of the following describes the effect of the venom on the prey of the cobra?

A) Action potentials are continuously generated, causing tetanus.
B) Muscle contractions are prevented, causing paralysis.
C) Muscle contractions occur, but refractory periods would be longer.
D) Weak muscle contractions occur, but are limited by ATP production by glycolysis.

Question 52

Which of the following organisms is most challenged by gravity when moving?

A) jellies
B) raccoons
C) whales
D) sea stars

Question 53

What happens if a skeletal muscle is deprived of adequate supplies of ATP?

A) the muscle relaxes
B) the muscle enters a state where actin and myosin are unable to separate
C) sarcomeres continue to shorten until maximum contraction is achieved
D) all free calcium ions are returned to the sarcoplasmic reticulum

Question 54

Which of the following organisms uses an airfoil for locomotion?

A) pigeon
B) kangaroo
C) cheetah
D) tuna

Question 55

Which of the following structures has large amounts of chitin?

A) skeletons of mammals
B) hydrostatic skeletons of earthworms
C) exoskeletons of insects
D) body hairs of mammals

Question 56

For the following five events, which is the correct sequence that describes the excitation and contraction of a skeletal muscle fiber?
1) Tropomyosin shifts, exposing the myosin-binding sites on actin.
2) Calcium is released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and binds to the troponin complex.
3) An action potential is propagated down the transverse tubules.
4) Cycles of myosin cross-bridge formation and breakdown cause the thin filaments to slide toward the center of the sarcomere.
5) An action potential in a motor neuron causes the axon to release acetylcholine, which triggers an action potential in a muscle fiber.

A) 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5
B) 2 → 1 → 3 → 5 → 4
C) 2 → 3 → 4 → 1 → 5
D) 5 → 3 → 2 → 1 → 4

Question 57

A patient is hospitalized with muscle spasms caused by failure of back muscles to relax after contraction. Which of the following would most likely help the back muscles relax?

A) Inject calcium into the back muscles.
B) Inject a drug that induces tropomyosin and troponin to bind to the myosin-binding sites on actin.
C) Inject a drug that increases the amount of acetylcholine at the synapses controlling the back muscles.
D) Inject a drug that depolarizes the motor neurons controlling the back muscles.

Question 58

An action potential from a motor neuron arriving at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) triggers a series of events leading to muscle contraction. Of the following four events, which occurs after the others?

A) acetylcholine (ACh) release
B) the myosin-binding sites on actin are exposed
C) depolarization of the muscle cell
D) release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum

Question 59

Most of the ATP supplies for a skeletal muscle undergoing prolonged exercise come from ________.

A) the transfer of a phosphate group from creatine phosphate
B) glycolysis
C) tropomyosin binding to calcium
D) glucose metabolized by aerobic respiration

Question 60

Which of the following defines a motor unit?

A) one actin binding site and its myosin partner
B) one sarcomere and all of its actin and myosin filaments
C) one myofibril and all of its sarcomeres
D) one motor neuron and all of the muscle fibers it controls

Question 61

Which of the following sensory receptors is incorrectly paired with its category?

A) hair cell-mechanoreceptor
B) snake pit organ-thermoreceptor
C) taste receptor-chemoreceptor
D) olfactory receptor-electromagnetic receptor

Question 62

During the contraction of a vertebrate skeletal muscle fiber, calcium ions ________.

A) break cross-bridges as a cofactor in hydrolysis of ATP
B) bind with troponin, changing its shape so that the myosin-binding sites on actin are exposed
C) transmit action potentials from the motor neuron to the muscle fiber
D) spread action potentials through the T tubules

Question 63

Which of the following organisms use osteoblasts and osteoclasts to reshape its skeleton?

A) octopus
B) beaver
C) earthworm
D) caterpillar

Question 64

If we scaled up a grasshopper by 50 times in all dimensions, which of the following would be true of this giant grasshopper?

A) it could leap the length of a football field in one jump
B) it could fly up more than 100 miles into the atmosphere
C) it could fly faster than any other organism
D) it could not stand up

Question 65

Although some sharks close their eyes just before they bite, their bites are on target. Researchers have noted that sharks often misdirect their bites at metal objects and that they can find batteries buried under sand. This evidence suggests that sharks keep track of their prey during the split second before they bite in the same way that ________.

A) a rattlesnake finds a mouse in its burrow
B) an insect avoids being stepped on
C) a star-nosed mole locates its prey in tunnels
D) a platypus locates its prey in a muddy river

Question 66

The middle ear converts ________.

A) air pressure waves to fluid pressure waves
B) air pressure waves to nerve impulses
C) fluid pressure waves to nerve impulses
D) pressure waves to hair cell movements

Question 67

Which sensory distinction is not encoded by a difference in neuron identity?

A) white and red
B) red and green
C) loud and faint
D) salty and sweet

Question 68

The transduction of sound waves into action potentials occurs ________.

A) in the tectorial membrane as it is stimulated by hair cells
B) when hair cells are bent against the tectorial membrane, causing them to depolarize and release neurotransmitter that stimulates sensory neurons
C) as the basilar membrane vibrates at different frequencies in response to the varying volume of sounds
D) within the middle ear as the vibrations are amplified by the malleus, incus, and stapes