Question 1

The depressed spot in the retina which occupies the center of the visual field in which images are focused MOST sharply is called the:

Accepted Answer

The fovea is the depressed spot in the retina which occupies the center of the visual field and is responsible for our most acute and detailed vision. It contains a high concentration of cone photoreceptors and is where images are focused most sharply. The cornea is the clear outer layer of the eye that helps to focus light. The iris is the colored part of the eye that regulates the amount of light that enters. The optic nerve is a bundle of fibers that carries visual information from the eye to the brain.

Question 2

Light enters the eye through the ________.

Accepted Answer

Light first enters the eye through the transparent outer covering called the cornea. Then, it passes through the opening in the center of the iris called the pupil. The iris regulates the amount of light that enters the eye by changing the size of the pupil. Therefore, both choices A and B are correct.

Question 3

Professor Zander wants to know how loud a certain noise must be in order to be heard from a distance of 50 feet. This question involves the concept of ________.

Accepted Answer

The concept of absolute threshold refers to the minimum intensity of a stimulus that can be detected by an organism. In this case, Professor Zander wants to know the minimum loudness required for a noise to be detectable from a distance of 50 feet, which involves the concept of absolute threshold.

Question 4

The shape of the lens adjusts in order to ________.

Accepted Answer

The shape of the lens adjusts in order to focus on different objects at different distances. This process is called accommodation. By changing shape and refracting light, the lens helps to create a clear image on the retina, regardless of the distance of the object being viewed.

Question 5

A young man enters a completely darkened room and lights a candle. Which of the following sequences best represents the candle's light as it enters his eye?

Accepted Answer

The correct sequence is cornea-pupil-lens-retina. Light first enters the eye through the cornea, then passes through the pupil, is focused by the lens, and finally reaches the retina where it is processed.

Question 6

When the eye becomes elongated, people see near objects well, but see far objects poorly. This is what is called ________.

Accepted Answer

When the eye becomes elongated, it causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of on the retina, making distant objects appear blurry. This is a characteristic of nearsightedness.

Question 7

The pupil is the ________.

Accepted Answer

The pupil is the opening in the center of the iris that allows light to enter the eye.

Question 8

When John drives his car at night, he finds that he can barely see traffic and street signs if he looks directly at them. He can increase his visual sensitivity by looking at the signs:

Accepted Answer

Looking out of the side of his eye allows John to use more rods, which are more sensitive to light and better suited for low light conditions. Focusing directly on the signs would require using more cones, which are less sensitive to light and better suited for daytime vision. Squinting would reduce the amount of light entering the eye and could actually decrease visual sensitivity.

Question 9

The colored part of the eye which contains muscles to contract or expand the pupil is the ________.

Accepted Answer

The iris is the colored part of the eye that contains muscles to contract or expand the pupil. The lens is a clear structure located behind the iris that helps focus light on the retina. The fovea is a small area in the retina responsible for sharp vision. The cornea is the clear outer layer of the eye that helps to focus incoming light.

Question 10

The lens:

Accepted Answer

The lens of the eye is responsible for allowing one to focus on objects at different distances, as it changes shape to bend light and adjust the focus. While the lens does allow light to enter the eye, this is not its primary function, and it does not control the amount of light entering the eye. The transparent outer membrane of the eye is actually the cornea, not the lens.

Question 11

The eyes convert light energy into neural responses that we experience as sight. The conversion of light energy into sight is done by receptor cells in the ________.

Accepted Answer

The retina contains receptor cells, called rods and cones, that convert light energy into neural signals which the brain interprets as sight. The iris and pupil are involved in regulating the amount of light that enters the eye, but they do not directly contribute to the conversion of light energy into sight. The blind spot is an area on the retina where there are no receptor cells, so it cannot convert light energy into sight.

Question 12

Lory entered a dark movie theater from the bright sunlight. Which of the following was occurring in her retinal system?

Accepted Answer

When moving from bright light to darkness, the eyes undergo dark adaptation, which involves a slow shift from cone vision (used in bright light) to rod vision (used in low light).

Question 13

For humans, the ability to ________ is probably the most important sense.

Accepted Answer

While all five senses are important to humans, the ability to see is likely the most important sense for humans. Vision provides the majority of the sensory input for most people and plays a key role in how we interact with and understand the world around us. It also allows us to navigate our environment and perform a wide variety of tasks that are essential to our survival and well-being.

Question 14

Billy acted out in class and made poor grades. After a vision screening at the school, Billy's teacher moved him to the front of the class. Billy's academic and social behaviors improved. Billy probably has which vision problem?

Accepted Answer

Billy most likely has nearsightedness, as he improved academically and socially when moved to the front of the class after a vision screening. Nearsightedness makes it difficult to see distant objects clearly, which would have impacted Billy's ability to read the board and participate in class. Astigmatism and farsightedness may also impact vision, but they don't necessarily cause difficulty seeing the board from a distance. Visual occlusion is not a type of vision problem, but rather a treatment for certain types of vision problems.

Question 15

Which type of receptor cell is associated with seeing colors?

Accepted Answer

Cones are the receptor cells associated with seeing colors. Rods, on the other hand, are responsible for detecting black and white and are more sensitive in low light conditions. Ganglia refers to a group of neural cells, and bipolar cells are located in the retina and involved in transmitting signals from photoreceptor cells to ganglion cells.

Question 16

If you stare for 30 seconds at a red object and then look at a blank sheet of white paper, you will see a greenish image of the object. This phenomenon best supports the:

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon of seeing a complementary color afterimage (greenish image) is explained by the Hering opponent-process theory of color vision, which suggests that there are three opposing pairs of colors: red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white. When we stare at a red object, the cells that are sensitive to red become fatigued and inhibit their firing, leaving the green-sensitive cells unopposed. This creates the greenish afterimage when we look at a blank white surface. The Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory of color vision does not explain this afterimage phenomenon.

Question 17

The inner lining on the back of the eyeball which is sensitive to light is called the ________.

Accepted Answer

The retina is the inner lining on the back of the eyeball which contains photoreceptor cells that are sensitive to light. The fovea is a small area within the retina that contains a high concentration of photoreceptors and is responsible for sharp central vision. The iris is the colored part of the eye that controls the size of the pupil, and the optic nerve carries visual information from the retina to the brain.

Question 18

When people are nearsighted, this most likely means that their eye:

Accepted Answer

Nearsightedness, or myopia, is a condition in which the eye focuses light in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This can result in blurry distance vision while near vision is clear.

Question 19

In nearsightedness, the image is focused:

Accepted Answer

In nearsightedness (myopia), the image is focused in front of the retina, causing distant objects to appear blurry while close objects can be seen clearly.

Question 20

________ are receptors that are best for seeing details.

Accepted Answer

Cones are responsible for color vision and detailed vision. They are most densely packed in the fovea, the central region of the retina, which is responsible for sharp and detailed vision. Rods, on the other hand, are more sensitive to light but do not contribute to detailed vision. Bipolar cells and ganglion cells are not directly involved in vision of fine details.

Quiz 3: Sensation and Perception