Problem 9 - Biology: The Dynamic Science

Question

Sensory bias in the nervous system of a cricket ensures that ultrasound perceived on one side of the body will cause: a. a movement in a leg on the same side of the body. b. a movement in a leg on the opposite side of the body. c. the cricket to respond with a vocalization. d. the cricket to stop vocalizing. e. the cricket to fly toward the sound.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

b. a movement in a leg on the opposite side of the body.

Step 1: Understand Sensory Bias

Sensory bias refers to the tendency of animals (or humans) to show increased sensitivity or responsiveness to certain cues or stimuli. In this context, it refers to the cricket's nervous system's increased response to ultrasound perceived on one side.

Step 2: Evaluate each potential response

The question asks for the consequence of this sensory bias. Here, each answer provided is evaluated in relation to the cricket's behavior. Most animals, when they perceive something on one side of their body, tend to react away from it. This could cause a movement in a leg on the same side of the body or on the opposite side, or even make the cricket flee. However, options c and d seem unlikely, because vocalizations are usually associated with mating rituals or other social behaviors, not with the perception of ultrasound.

Step 3: Choose the most plausible answer

Based on evaluation in the previous step, it seems most plausible that the cricket would react away from the perceived ultrasound. In this case, causing a movement in a leg on the same side of the body will not help to move the cricket away from the source of sound. The most reasonable response is for the cricket to have a movement in a leg on the opposite side of the body, which allows it to move away from the source.