Chapter 36

Figure 36.14 Cochlear implants can restore hearing in people who have a nonfunctional cochlea. The implant consists of a microphone that picks up sound. A speech processor selects sounds in the range of human speech, and a transmitter converts these sounds to electrical impulses, which are then sent to the auditory nerve. Which of the following types of hearing loss would not be restored by a cochlear implant? a. Hearing loss resulting from absence or loss of hair cells in the organ of Corti. b. Hearing loss resulting from an abnormal auditory nerve. c. Hearing loss resulting from fracture of the cochlea. d. Hearing loss resulting from damage to bones of the middle ear.

Where does perception occur? a. spinal cord b. cerebral cortex c. receptors d. thalamus

If a person's cold receptors no longer convert cold stimuli into sensory signals, that person has a problem with the process of _____. a. reception b. transmission c. perception d. transduction

After somatosensory transduction, the sensory signal travels through the brain as a(n) _____ signal. a. electrical b. pressure c. optical d. thermal

Many people experience motion sickness while traveling in a car. This sensation results from contradictory inputs arising from which senses? a. Proprioception and Kinesthesia b. Somatosensation and Equilibrium c. Gustation and Vibration d. Vision and Vestibular System

If you were to burn your epidermis, what receptor type would you most likely burn? a. free nerve endings b. Ruffini endings c. Pacinian corpuscle d. hair receptors

Many diabetic patients are warned by their doctors to test their glucose levels by pricking the sides of their fingers rather than the pads. Pricking the sides avoids stimulating which receptor? a. Krause end bulbs b. Meissner's corpuscles c. Ruffini ending d. Nociceptors

Which of the following has the fewest taste receptors? a. fungiform papillae b. circumvallate papillae c. foliate papillae d. filiform papillae

All sensory signals except _____ travel to the _____ in the brain before the cerebral cortex. a. vision; thalamus b. olfaction; thalamus c. vision; cranial nerves d. olfaction; cranial nerves

How is the ability to recognize the umami taste an evolutionary advantage? a. Umami identifies healthy foods that are low in salt and sugar. b. Umami enhances the flavor of bland foods. c. Umami identifies foods that might contain essential amino acids. d. Umami identifies foods that help maintain electrolyte balance.

In sound, pitch is measured in __________ , and volume is measured in _____________. a. nanometers (nm); decibels (dB) b. decibels (dB); nanometers (nm) c. decibels (dB); hertz (Hz) d. hertz (Hz); decibels (dB)

Auditory hair cells are indirectly anchored to the _____. a. basilar membrane b. oval window c. tectorial membrane d. ossicles

Which of the following are found both in the auditory system and the vestibular system? a. basilar membrane b. hair cells c. semicircular canals d. ossicles

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a disorder where some of the calcium carbonate crystals in the utricle migrate into the semicircular canals. Why does this condition cause periods of dizziness? a. The hair cells in the semicircular canals will be constantly activated. b. The hair cells in the semicircular canals will now be stimulated by gravity. c. The utricle will no longer recognize acceleration. d. There will be too much volume in the semicircular canals for them to detect motion.

Why do people over 55 often need reading glasses? a. Their cornea no longer focuses correctly. b. Their lens no longer focuses correctly. c. Their eyeball has elongated with age, causing images to focus in front of their retina. d. Their retina has thinned with age, making vision more difficult.

Why is it easier to see images at night using peripheral, rather than the central, vision? a. Cones are denser in the periphery of the retina. b. Bipolar cells are denser in the periphery of the retina. c. Rods are denser in the periphery of the retina. d. The optic nerve exits at the periphery of the retina.

A person catching a ball must coordinate her head and eyes. What part of the brain is helping to do this? a. hypothalamus b. pineal gland c. thalamus d. superior colliculus

A satellite is launched into space, but explodes after exiting the Earth's atmosphere. Which statement accurately reflects the observations made by an astronaut on a space walk outside the International Space Station during the explosion? a. The astronaut would see the explosion, but would not hear a boom. b. The astronaut will not sense the explosion. c. The astronaut will see the explosion, and then hear the boom. d. The astronaut will feel the concussive force of the explosion, but will not see it.

If a person sustains damage to axons leading from sensory receptors to the central nervous system, which step or steps of sensory perception will be affected?

Describe the difference in the localization of the sensory receptors for general and special senses in humans.

A few recent cancer detection studies have used trained dogs to detect lung cancer in urine samples. What is the hypothesis behind this study? Why are dogs a better choice of detectors in this study than humans?

How would a rise in altitude likely affect the speed of a sound transmitted through air? Why?

How might being in a place with less gravity than Earth has (such as Earth's moon) affect vestibular sensation, and why?

Cataracts, the medical condition where the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, are a leading cause of blindness. Describe how developing a cataract would change the path of light through the eye.