Chapter 7

Of the following, which use a labeled-line code and which use an across-fiber pattern code? A. A fire alarm B. A light switch C. The shift key plus another key on a keyboard

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

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?

In what way is somatosensation several senses instead of one?

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 some chemical that blocks the release of second messengers, how would it affect your taste experiences?

What are several reasons why some people like spicier foods than others do?

What would happen to a pain sensation if glutamate receptors in the spinal cord were blocked? What if substance P receptors were blocked?

If someone sees no need to shower after becoming sweaty, what is one (admittedly unlikely) explanation?

How do opiates relieve pain? Why do they relieve dull pain but not sharp pain?

How do olfactory receptors resemble metabotropic neurotransmitter receptors?

Which type of hearing loss would be more common among members of rock bands and why? For which type of hearing loss is a hearing aid generally more successful

If two olfactory receptors are located near each other in the nose, in what way are they likely to be similar?

Which method of sound localization is more effective for an animal with a small head? Which is more effective for an animal with a large head? Why?

What good does it do for an olfactory axon to have copies of the cell's olfactory receptor protein?

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

If someone reports seeing a particular letter in color, in what way is it different from a real color?