Imagine that researchers discovered a new animal that has larger areas of the somatosensory cortex dedicated to the fingers than to the toes.Based on what is known about the arrangement of neurons within the somatosensory cortex, you should conclude that for this animal, the toes are:
A)more sensitive than the fingers
B)less flexible than the fingers
C)less sensitive than the fingers
D)more flexible than the fingers

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The somatosensory cortex is responsible for processing sensory information from various parts of the body, including touch, pain, temperature, and proprioception. The areas with larger representation in the cortex have more neurons dedicated to processing sensory information from those body parts. Therefore, if the animal has larger areas of the somatosensory cortex dedicated to the fingers than to the toes, we can infer that the fingers have more sensory sensitivity than the toes. Hence, the correct answer is C, less sensitive than the fingers.

Imagine That Researchers Discovered a New Animal That Has Larger