Chapter 7

Through which mechanism do we perceive low-frequency sounds (up to about \(100 \mathrm{Hz}\) )?

What is one way in which the auditory and visual cortices differ?

People with damage to the vestibular system have trouble reading street signs while walking. Why?

In what way is somatosensation several senses instead of one?

Suppose you suffer a cut through the spinal cord on the right side only. For the part of the body below that cut, will you lose pain sensation on the left side or the right side? Will you lose touch sensation on the left side or the right side?

How do ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs decrease pain?

In what ways are hurt feelings similar to physical pain?

Do opiates increase or decrease itch sensations?

Suppose someone suffers from constant itching. What kinds of drugs might help relieve it?

Suppose you find a new, unusual-tasting food. How could you determine whether we have a special receptor for that food or whether we taste it with a combination of the other known taste receptors?

Although the tongue has receptors for bitter tastes, researchers have not found neurons in the brain itself that respond more strongly to bitter than to other tastes. Explain, then, how it is possible for the brain to detect bitter tastes.

If someone injected into your tongue a chemical that blocks the release of second messengers, how would it affect your taste experiences?

How do olfactory receptors resemble metabotropic neurotransmitter receptors?

What is one major difference between olfactory receptors and those of the vomeronasal organ?