Question 1

Every biopsychology student will have to learn that receptive fields have differing sizes as a function of their location in the retina;in the ___ receptive fields are smaller while in the ___ receptive fields are larger.

Accepted Answer

Receptive fields are smallest at the fovea, which is the central part of the retina where visual acuity is highest, and increase in size towards the periphery of the retina. Therefore, option A is the correct choice, as it correctly identifies that receptive fields are smaller in the fovea and larger in the periphery of the retina.

Question 2

Retinal disparity is first detected in the:

Accepted Answer

Retinal disparity is processed in the visual cortex of the brain, specifically in the binocular area of the visual cortex. The processing of retinal disparity helps us perceive depth and three-dimensional space. The lateral geniculate processes visual information, but not specifically retinal disparity. The inferior colliculus processes auditory information, and the optic chiasm is where the optic nerve fibers from each eye cross over to the opposite side of the brain.

Question 3

Dot is to pointillist painting as ___ is to ___.

Accepted Answer

In pointillist painting, small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. Similarly, in the visual system, a receptive field is a specific area in the visual field where a stimulus will modify the firing of a neuron. Thus, "receptive field" to "visual field" is analogous to how individual dots contribute to the overall image in pointillist painting.

Question 4

Axons from the ___ of the retina cross over to the opposite side of the brain at the optic chiasm while the axons from the ___ stay on the same side of the brain.

Accepted Answer

Axons from the nasal area of the retina (which receive information from the temporal visual field) cross over to the opposite side of the brain at the optic chiasm, while axons from the temporal area of the retina (which receive information from the nasal visual field) remain on the same side of the brain.

Question 5

Which thalamic nucleus receives visual information from the retina?

Accepted Answer

The lateral geniculate nucleus is the thalamic nucleus that receives visual information from the retina. The ventral geniculate nucleus, on the other hand, receives auditory information. The superior and inferior colliculi are involved in processing sensory information from multiple modalities, but primarily auditory and somatosensory information.

Question 6

Three-dimensional processing of objects,such as films such as Avatar 3D,is performed by the:

Accepted Answer

The anterior parietal cortex is responsible for three-dimensional processing of objects.

Question 7

The ___ is an area on the retina from which a ganglion cell receives inputs.

Accepted Answer

The term used to describe the area on the retina from which a ganglion cell receives inputs is the receptive field. The receptive field is the specific part of the visual field to which a neuron or group of neurons within the visual system will respond.

Question 8

The blind spot is the location on the retina:

Accepted Answer

The blind spot is the area on the retina where the optic nerve connects, which means there are no photoreceptors in that location, and therefore no visual information can be detected. This area is not related to acuity, cone density, or night vision.

Question 9

Which of the following is true regarding receptive fields?

Accepted Answer

Receptive fields generally increase in size as neurons progress through the visual system. This allows for more complex and abstract visual processing. The other options are not accurate descriptions of receptive fields.

Question 10

The fact that specialized visual functions occur in specific locations illustrates ___.

Accepted Answer

The fact that specialized visual functions occur in specific locations is an example of modular processing, which is the idea that different cognitive functions are localized in different brain regions or modules. This suggests that specific brain areas are responsible for specific visual processing tasks, such as the recognition of faces or the perception of motion.

Question 11

Humans see different colors because we have different forms of:

Accepted Answer

Humans see different colors because we have different forms of photopigments in the cones of our retinas, and the primary photopigment for color vision is called iodopsin, not rhodopsin (which is used for low-light vision in rods). The other options, neodopsin and rhinodopsin, are not recognized as visual pigments in human physiology.

Question 12

Which of the following describes the anatomical arrangement of the visual system?

Accepted Answer

The anatomical arrangement of the visual system involves the crossing of axons from the nasal portions of the retina to the opposite side of the brain, while axons from the temporal portions of the retina stay on the same side. Therefore, information from the left visual field goes to the right side of the brain, and vice versa. This is known as the optic chiasm.

Question 13

The point in the brain where axons from the retina cross over to the other side of the brain is called the:

Accepted Answer

The point in the brain where axons from the retina cross over to the other side of the brain is called the optic chiasm. This is a crucial structure in vision as it allows for the integration of visual information from both eyes.

Question 14

What do the current visual prosthetic devices,such as retinal implants,do?

Accepted Answer

Current visual prosthetic devices, such as retinal implants, directly stimulate ganglion cells in the retina to send visual signals to the brain. They do not stimulate the visual cortex (B), rods and cones (C), or tap into the auditory nerve (D).

Question 15

Retinal disparity contributes to:

Accepted Answer

Retinal disparity is the slight difference in the images seen by the two eyes. This disparity is used by the brain to create depth perception, allowing us to perceive how far away objects are from us in three-dimensional space. Retinal disparity does not contribute to color vision, perceiving movement or eye-hand coordination.

Question 16

The ___ provides better visual acuity than the rest of the retina.

Accepted Answer

The fovea is the central pit in the retina where the density of photoreceptors is highest, providing better visual acuity than the peripheral retina. The optic chiasm is the point where the optic nerves cross over, while the nasal retina refers to the portion of the retina that is closest to the nose.

Question 17

If illumination from a given point in space produces a neural response in a specific ganglion cell,then that point in space is in the cell's ___.

Accepted Answer

The concept being described is that of the receptive field, which refers to the region of sensory space that can elicit a response from a given neuron or group of neurons. The other choices are not directly related to this concept.

Question 18

The discrepancy in the location of an object's image on each retina is called:

Accepted Answer

Retinal disparity refers to the difference in location of an object's image on the retina of each eye. This difference provides important visual cues that the brain can use to perceive depth and distance. Option A) Receptive deviation and option B) Integrative dissimilarity are not valid concepts. Option D) Contrast enhancement is not related to the discrepancy in the location of an object's image on each retina.

Question 19

As BJ walked into the matinee showing on that sunny Saturday,he was stumbling blindly.Although his pupils had dilated fully in a matter of seconds,BJ was quite night blind for some minutes until his eyes resynthesized adequate ___ to see in the dark.

Accepted Answer

Rhodopsin is the pigment in the retina that enables vision in low-light conditions by absorbing light at a wavelength of around 498 nm. It takes time for the regeneration of rhodopsin after it has been broken down by light, which is why BJ experienced night blindness until adequate levels of rhodopsin could be resynthesized. Options A, B, and D are not relevant to low-light vision.

Question 20

The fact that the different layers of retina perform some processing,and then information is passed on to where more processing is conducted in the lateral geniculate nucleus and then passed on to the visual cortex where still more is performed,illustrates ___.

Accepted Answer

The process of information passing through different layers and locations, where different levels of processing take place, represents hierarchical processing. Each layer or location performs a specific type of processing, building upon the previous one, until the final image perception is formed. Disparity processing and integrative processing refer to different types of visual processing that occur in specific parts of the visual system. Parallel processing occurs when different types of processing happen simultaneously, which is not the case here, as each layer or location in the visual pathway has a specific function and order.

Quiz 10: Vision and Visual Perception

Every biopsychology student will have to learn that receptive fields have differing sizes as a function of their location in the retina;in the _ receptive fields are smaller while in the _ receptive fields are larger.