Title: Sensory Systems
Course: Question Banks

Q: Which of the following is one of the general senses?
- olfaction (Incorrect. Smell is a special sense.)
- gustation (Incorrect. Taste is a special sense.)
- vibration (Correct. Vibration, based on mechanoreception, is one of the general senses.)
A: vibration

Q: The special sense of ________ converts light signals into electrical signals within the nervous system.
- pain (Incorrect. Nociception is one of the general senses, not a special sense.)
- touch (Incorrect. Somatosensation is based largely on reception of mechanical signals such as variations in pressure.)
- vision (Correct. Sight is based on light stimuli.)
A: vision

Q: Sensory receptors combined with afferent neurons respond to ________.
- several different stimuli (Incorrect. Sensory receptors and afferent neuron pairs do not respond to several different stimuli.)
- pain (Incorrect. Pain receptors are often free nerve endings, not paired sensory receptors and afferent neurons.)
- specific stimuli (Correct. The special senses are generally this type of signal transduction process.)
A: specific stimuli

Q: When a sensory receptor responds to a stimulus, ________ has occurred.
- perception (Incorrect. This is an individual’s interpretation of a sensation.)
- transduction (Incorrect. This is translation of a sensory signal to an electrical signal within the nervous system.)
- reception (Correct. A sensory receptor must be activated by a stimulus to trigger a response to that stimulus.)
A: reception

Q: Receptor potential is the ________.
- region of space in which a sensory receptor can respond to a stimulus (Incorrect. This is the receptor’s receptive field.)
- the specificity of a given receptor (Incorrect. This is receptor specificity.)
- change in electrical potential at the sensory receptor (Correct. Receptor potential changes at the receiving sensory nerve.)
A: change in electrical potential at the sensory receptor

Q: Sensory signals from the ________ system are not transmitted through the central nervous system.
- auditory (Incorrect. The auditory processing region is located in the CNS.)
- visual (Incorrect. The visual processing region is located in the CNS.)
- olfactory (Correct. Olfactory signals are transmitted to the olfactory bulb.)
A: olfactory

Q: The just-noticeable difference is the amount something must be changed ________.
- to be sensed most of the time (Incorrect. A JND does not need to be sensed most of the time.)
- to always be detected (Incorrect. A JND does not need to always be detected.)
- to be detectable half the time (Correct. A JND does not need to always be detected.)
A: to be detectable half the time

Q: The JND is a ________ quantity.
- exact (Incorrect. JND is not an exact quantity.)
- universal (Incorrect. JND is specific to a given person.)
- statistical (Correct. A given person will notice variable differences, so it must be determined for a person using multiple trials.)
A: statistical

Q: ________ can be influenced by motivational factors.
- Sensory neuron sensitivity (Incorrect. This is a feature of neurons that cannot be influenced by a person.)
- Sensory threshold (Incorrect. This is a feature of neurons that cannot be influenced by a person.)
- Just-noticeable difference (Correct. JND is also influenced by situational and perceptual factors.)
A: Just-noticeable difference

Q: ________ are unencapsulated mechanoreceptors that respond to light touch.
- Ruffini endings (Incorrect. These are encapsulated receptors that detect skin stretch and joint deformations.)
- Pacinian corpuscles (Incorrect. These rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors sense deep transient pressure and high-frequency vibration.)
- Merkel’s disks (Correct. These slow-adapting nerve endings are densely distributed in the fingerprints and lips in particular.)
A: Merkel’s disks

Q: Ruffini endings are ________.
- unencapsulated mechanoreceptors that respond to light touch (Incorrect. These are the Merkel’s disks.)
- used to detect pressure by being compressed (Incorrect. These are the Pacinian corpuscles.)
- used while gripping objects (Correct. These are encapsulated receptors that detect skin stretch and joint deformations.)
A: used while gripping objects

Q: ________ detect pressure by being compressed.
- Ruffini endings (Incorrect. These encapsulated receptors that detect skin stretch and joint deformations are at the base of the epidermis.)
- Meissner’s corpuscles (Incorrect. These tactile corpuscles are found in the upper dermis projecting into the epidermis, primarily in the glabrous skin of the fingertips and eyelids.)
- Pacinian corpuscles (Correct. These rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors sense deep transient pressure and high-frequency vibration; they are found deep in the dermis.)
A: Pacinian corpuscles

Q: ________ are found deepest in human skin.
- Merkel’s disks (Incorrect. These slow-adapting nerve endings are densely distributed in the fingerprints and lips in particular.)
- Ruffini endings (Incorrect. These encapsulated receptors that detect skin stretch and joint deformations are at the base of the epidermis.)
- Pacinian corpuscles (Correct. These rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors sense deep transient pressure and high-frequency vibration; they are found deep in the dermis.)
A: Pacinian corpuscles

Q: Meissner’s corpuscles are found ________.
- deepest in human skin (Incorrect. These are the Pacinian corpuscles.)
- near the base of the epidermis (Incorrect. These are the Ruffini endings.)
- on the eyelids (Correct. These tactile corpuscles are found in the upper dermis projecting into the epidermis, primarily in the glabrous skin of the fingertips and eyelids.)
A: on the eyelids

Q: Ruffini endings are found ________.
- deepest in human skin (Incorrect. These are the Pacinian corpuscles.)
- on the eyelids (Incorrect. These are the Meissner’s corpuscles.)
- near the base of the epidermis (Correct. These encapsulated receptors that detect skin stretch and joint deformations as well as warmth are at the base of the epidermis.)
A: near the base of the epidermis

Q: ________ detect cold in humans.
- Ruffini endings (Incorrect. These mechanoreceptors detect warmth as well as skin stretch.)
- Cilia (Incorrect. It is thought cilia may play a role in temperature sensing, but their exact role in unknown.)
- Krause end bulbs (Correct. These receptors detect cold signals in humans.)
A: Krause end bulbs

Q: Thermoreceptors run through the ________ to the primary somatosensory cortex.
- hypothalamus (Incorrect. Thermoreceptors do not pass through the hypothalamus.)
- parathyroid (Incorrect. This is a gland, not a sensory structure.)
- thalamus (Correct. Thermoreceptor pathways run from the spinal cord through the thalamus to the primary somatosensory cortex in the brain.)
A: thalamus

Q: Temperature and pain sensations are often connected because they ________.
- utilize the same receptors (Incorrect. They do not use the same receptors for all signals.)
- are both subjective (Incorrect. Temperature is not subjective: it is above or below body temperature.)
- are conducted along the same pathways (Correct. This is why temperature sensations that are intense can be perceived as pain.)
A: are conducted along the same pathways

Q: Pain begins ________.
- at the reception of an appropriate stimulus (Incorrect. This is not the start of pain.)
- when tissue injury occurs (Incorrect. This is not the start of pain.)
- upon communication to the brain (Correct. Pain, the perception of nociception, does not truly begin until the brain processes appropriate signals.)
A: upon communication to the brain

Q: The majority of nociceptors conduct via a pathway that enters the ________.
- hypothalamus (Incorrect. There are a limited number of nociceptors that conduct into the hypothalamus, as part of the “fight-or-flight” process.)
- parathyroid (Incorrect. This is a gland, not a sensory structure.)
- thalamus (Correct. Nociceptive pathways run from the spinal cord through the thalamus to the primary somatosensory cortex in the brain.)
A: thalamus

Q: Some harmless stimuli may cause pain because ________.
- in the past these stimuli preceded tissue injury (Incorrect. This is not why some harmless stimuli trigger pain.)
- they are too intense (Incorrect. Not all intense stimuli will lead to a pain response.)
- they may cause a similar cellular response to a temperature response (Correct. Temperature and pain are conducted along the same pathways; additionally, some receptors will trigger channels to open that are associated with warm receptors.)
A: they may cause a similar cellular response to a temperature response

Q: Taste and smell both rely on ________.
- activation of at least two receptors (Incorrect. These senses do not require at least two receptors.)
- thermoreceptors (Incorrect. Temperature can influence the perception of smells but not due to the action of thermoreceptors.)
- molecules in the environment (Correct. Taste and smell receptors must physically take in molecules from the source.)
A: molecules in the environment

Q: Humans have about ________ olfactory receptors.
- 100 million (Incorrect. This is how many receptors rabbits have.)
- 4 billion (Incorrect. This is how many receptors dogs have.)
- 12 million (Correct. While this is a lot, humans have only a few compared to many other animals.)
A: 12 million

Q: ________ stimulation is the only sensory information that directly reaches the cerebral cortex.
- Visual (Incorrect. Visual stimulation does not go directly to the cerebral cortex.)
- Taste (Incorrect. Taste stimulation is not conveyed directly to the cerebral cortex.)
- Olfactory (Correct. Other sensations, including taste from taste receptors, are relayed through the thalamus.)
A: Olfactory

Q: A ________ tastant stimulates taste neurons directly.
- sour (Incorrect. These tastants are received by thermoreceptors that trigger a depolarization of their neurons.)
- bitter (Incorrect. These tastants bind a G-protein coupled receptor that activates the taste neuron.)
- salty (Correct. These tastants provide sodium ions that trigger neurons directly.)
A: salty

Q: Umami tastes require a ________ to trigger the appropriate taste neuron.
- sodium channel (Incorrect. Salty tastes pass directly through sodium channels.)
- thermoreceptor (Incorrect. Sour tastes work via a thermoreceptor trigger.)
- G-protein coupled receptor (Correct. Bitter, sweet, and umami tastes all trigger neurons via G-protein coupled receptor activation.)
A: G-protein coupled receptor

Q: ________ papillae contain the most taste buds.
- Filiform (Incorrect. Filiform papillae contain no taste buds at all.)
- Fungiform (Incorrect. Fungiform papillae contain 1–8 taste buds each.)
- Circumvallate (Correct. These papillae contain up to 100 taste buds and are located in a V near the back of the tongue.)
A: Circumvallate

Q: Olfactory neurons project to the olfactory ________.
- epithelium (Incorrect. This is where olfactory neurons project from.)
- cortex (Incorrect. This is where signals travel to from the glomeruli.)
- bulb (Correct. Olfactory neurons leave the olfactory epithelium and project to the olfactory bulb.)
A: bulb

Q: Olfaction is processed in the areas of the brain that deal with ________.
- vision (Incorrect. Vision and olfaction are not processed together.)
- hunger (Incorrect. Olfaction and hunger signals are not processed together.)
- memory (Correct. This is why some smells will trigger strong memories.)
A: memory

Q: Taste neurons project to the ________.
- palate (Incorrect. This is one of the locations that taste neurons project from, along with the tongue and esophagus.)
- primary gustatory cortex (Incorrect. This is where taste signals are processed.)
- medulla (Correct. Taste neurons move from mouth and throat structures to the medulla.)
A: medulla

Q: High-frequency sounds have ________ pitch.
- variable (Incorrect. Pitch does not change at a given frequency.)
- low (Incorrect. Pitch and frequency are not inversely related.)
- high (Correct. Pitch and frequency are directly related.)
A: high

Q: Softer sounds have ________ amplitude than louder sounds.
- greater (Incorrect. Softer sounds do not have greater amplitudes.)
- the same (Incorrect. The volume of a sound is dictated by the amplitude.)
- smaller (Correct. Sound volume and amplitude are directly related.)
A: smaller

Q: ________ are typically the best at hearing higher frequencies.
- Men (Incorrect. Of the answer choices, men would hear higher frequencies the worst.)
- Women (Incorrect. Women do hear higher frequencies better than men, but not better than children.)
- Children (Correct. Humans hear high frequencies best at younger ages.)
A: Children

Q: The external collector of sound waves is the ________.
- tympanum (Incorrect. This is the eardrum, the innermost part of the outer ear.)
- ossicles (Incorrect. The ossicles are small bones inside the middle ear.)
- pinna (Correct. The external, cartilaginous part of the ear collects sound waves.)
A: pinna

Q: The ________ transfer energy from the tympanum to the inner ear.
- ear canal (Incorrect. The ear (or auditory) canal conducts sound waves from the pinna to the tympanum.)
- pinna (Incorrect. The external, cartilaginous part of the ear collects sound waves.)
- ossicles (Correct. The ossicles are small bones inside the middle ear that allow sound wave energy to move into the inner ear.)
A: ossicles

Q: The ________ attaches directly to the tympanic membrane.
- incus (Incorrect. The anvil connects the malleus to the stapes.)
- stapes (Incorrect. The stirrup attaches to the oval window.)
- malleus (Correct. This ossicle bone, the hammer, attaches at three points to the interior surface of the tympanum.)
A: malleus

Q: Sound waves are actually ________ stimuli.
- electrical (Incorrect. Sound waves are not electrical in nature.)
- molecular (Incorrect. Sound waves are not like odorants: they are not molecules.)
- mechanical (Correct. These waves are actual pressure stimuli conducted through the air.)
A: mechanical

Q: The primary auditory receptors are found in the ________.
- stereocilia (Incorrect. Stereocilia feed into the primary auditory receptors.)
- tectorial membrane (Incorrect. The auditory receptors connect to the tectorial membrane though.)
- organ of Corti (Correct. This is the site of transduction of the sound wave.)
A: organ of Corti

Q: Auditory information travels along neural endings that are triggered by action potentials generated from ________.
- flexing of the basilar membrane (Incorrect. This does not directly trigger activation of the neurons.)
- the cochlear nerve (Incorrect. This does not activate the neurons.)
- bending of hair cells (Correct. This bending releases an excitatory neurotransmitter.)
A: bending of hair cells

Q: The ________ responds to acceleration in a straight line.
- superior canal (Incorrect. This canal responds to acceleration and deceleration from rotation.)
- horizontal canal (Incorrect. This canal responds to acceleration and deceleration from rotation.)
- utricle (Correct. Both the utricle and saccule respond to straight line acceleration such as gravity.)
A: utricle

Q: The gelatinous layer below the utricle and saccule contains ________.
- bone shards (Incorrect. There are no bone shards in this gelatinous layer.)
- hardened cartilage deposits (Incorrect. There are no hardened cartilage deposits in this gelatinous layer.)
- calcium carbonate crystals (Correct. These crystals are always pulled down by gravity.)
A: calcium carbonate crystals

Q: The ________ deals with balance.
- cochlear neuron (Incorrect. This neuron assists with coordinating movement.)
- optic muscle (Incorrect. This muscle is used in coordination of eye and head movements.)
- vestibulocochlear cranial nerve (Correct. Specifically the vestibular branch of this nerve deals with balance.)
A: vestibulocochlear cranial nerve

Q: ________ waves can travel through a vacuum.
- Sound (Incorrect. These compression waves require a medium such as a gas, liquid, or solid.)
- Pressure (Incorrect. Pressure waves require a medium such as a gas, liquid, or solid.)
- Light (Correct. Electromagnetic waves need no medium for travel. Therefore they can move through space or a vacuum.)
A: Light

Q: Wave amplitude in light waves is perceived as ________.
- color (Incorrect. Color is related to frequency in light waves.)
- speed (Incorrect. Light waves always travel at roughly the same speed; there is some impact when traveling through a medium but very little.)
- brightness (Correct. Amplitude equates to luminous intensity in light waves.)
A: brightness

Q: The color of an object is the color it ________.
- absorbs (Incorrect. Absorbed waves cannot travel to the human eye.)
- enhances (Incorrect. Objects do not ‘enhance’ colors.)
- reflects (Correct. The object reflects these waves to the human eye, which can then detect them using color receptors.)
A: reflects

Q: Transduction of light to nervous impulses occurs in the ________.
- cornea (Incorrect. The cornea bends light to focus the incoming image.)
- iris (Incorrect. The iris regulates the amount of light that enters the eye.)
- retina (Correct. The retina houses the photoreceptive cells that actually transduce the light signals.)
A: retina

Q: Under low ambient light, the pupil is ________.
- constricted (Incorrect. The pupil would be smaller under high ambient light.)
- flattened (Incorrect. The pupil is never normally flattened.)
- enlarged (Correct. The pupil enlarges when the iris is relaxed.)
A: enlarged

Q: Humans have ________ cones compared to rods in the fovea.
- fewer (Incorrect. Humans do not have fewer cones than rods.)
- the same number of (Incorrect. Humans do not have an equal number of cones and rods.)
- more (Correct. Humans have far more cones than rods, giving us better daytime, color vision.)
A: more

Q: The ________ actually absorbs light within the eye.
- transducin (Incorrect. Transducin is responsible for triggered downstream events after light has been absorbed.)
- opsin (Incorrect. Opsin is a membrane protein in the main photopigment.)
- retinal (Correct. Retinal absorbs light through shape changes.)
A: retinal

Q: The ________ cones are maximally responsive to waves of 530nm.
- S (Incorrect. S cones are maximally responsive to waves of 420nm.)
- L (Incorrect. L cones are maximally responsive to waves at 560nm.)
- M (Correct. The medium cones are maximally responsive to wavelengths of light 530nm long.)
A: M

Q: A large degree of visual processing occurs at the ________.
- optic nerve (Incorrect. The optic nerve transmits impulses to the brain from the eye.)
- ganglion cells (Incorrect. The ganglion cells are part of the path from the cones and rods to the brain.)
- retina (Correct. A significant amount of processing of visual information occurs in the retina itself where signals are received.)
A: retina

Q: Optic nerves are made up of ________.
- superior colliculus (Incorrect. This is where eye movements are coordinated and integrated with auditory information.)
- magnocellular pathways (Incorrect. This is one of the pathways for visual processing, focused on form, movement, depth, and differences in brightness.)
- myelinated axons of ganglion cells (Correct. This makes up the optic nerve.)
A: myelinated axons of ganglion cells

Q: From the thalamus, visual signals travel to the ________.
- hypothalamus (Incorrect. There is a pathway from the retina to the hypothalamus connected to our circadian cycle.)
- temporal lobe (Incorrect. Only some visual signals will move to the temporal lobe.)
- primary visual cortex (Correct. This is located at the back of the brain and receives both magnocellular and parvocellular signals.)
A: primary visual cortex

Q: Parvocellular information is ________ information.
- when (Incorrect. There is no “when” information in visual signalling.)
- where (Incorrect. The larger scale, gross distinctions in magnocellular pathways are “where” information.)
- what (Correct. The fine details and color information of the parvocellular pathway can be considered “what” information.)
A: what