Question 1

When an end-inhibited cell in visual cortex fires action potentials, what information is most likely being conveyed?

Accepted Answer

A)  There is diffuse light in the area of the receptive field. 
B)  There is a bar of light in the receptive field. 
C)  There is a vertical bar of light in the receptive field. 
D)  There is a vertical bar of light moving from left to right in the receptive field. 
E)  There is a corner within the receptive field. 
A)  There is diffuse light in the area of the receptive field. 
B)  There is a bar of light in the receptive field. 
C)  There is a vertical bar of light in the receptive field. 
D)  There is a vertical bar of light moving from left to right in the receptive field. 
E)  There is a corner within the receptive field. E

Question 2

In addition to trains of action potentials from single retinal ganglion cells, what other information might the brain use to analyze visual information?

Accepted Answer

There is the possibility that synchronous firing among neighboring RGCs might convey additional information about light falling on the retina that cannot be deduced from the firing of the cells separately.

Question 3

What kind of Retinal Ganglion Cell slow down or stop signaling when the central area of their field is illuminated?

Accepted Answer

A)  On-center retinal ganglion cells 
B)  Off-center retinal ganglion cells 
C)  Reverse threshold retinal ganglion cells 
D)  M cells 
E)  P cells 
A)  On-center retinal ganglion cells 
B)  Off-center retinal ganglion cells 
C)  Reverse threshold retinal ganglion cells 
D)  M cells 
E)  P cells B

Question 4

Explain the difference between responses of simple and complex cells in primary visual cortex.

Accepted Answer

While both classes of cells are heteroge

Question 5

You are recording action potentials from a monkey retinal ganglion cell, and discover that the cell has a small receptive field, high spatial resolution, and is sensitive to color. What kind of cell are you recording from?

Accepted Answer

A)  Magnocellular 
B)  Parvocellular 
C)  X cell 
D)  Y cell 
E)  W cell 
A)  Magnocellular 
B)  Parvocellular 
C)  X cell 
D)  Y cell 
E)  W cell

Question 6

How do retinal ganglion cells and lateral geniculate nucleus cells respond to diffuse light? Why?

Accepted Answer

These cells do not respond well to diffu

Question 7

The left visual cortex receives information from the

Accepted Answer

A)  left LGN only. 
B)  right LGN only. 
C)  left eye only. 
D)  right eye only. 
E)  left visual field only. 
A)  left LGN only. 
B)  right LGN only. 
C)  left eye only. 
D)  right eye only. 
E)  left visual field only.

Question 8

A square that appears light when surrounded by a black border can be made to appear dark merely by increasing the brightness of the surround. This suggests that the visual cortex

Accepted Answer

A)  receives action potentials that convey information about luminance from the entire visual field. 
B)  receives action potentials only from cells at the edges of the square. 
C)  identifies the absolute levels of brightness in an image. 
D)  responds to the periphery more than to the center of the visual field. 
E)  receives information about color through the periphery of the visual field. 
A)  receives action potentials that convey information about luminance from the entire visual field. 
B)  receives action potentials only from cells at the edges of the square. 
C)  identifies the absolute levels of brightness in an image. 
D)  responds to the periphery more than to the center of the visual field. 
E)  receives information about color through the periphery of the visual field.

Question 9

We read words on a page with our central visual field. This is because the

Accepted Answer

A)  visual field is distorted in the peripheral visual field. 
B)  peripheral visual field only responds to motion. 
C)  central visual field has fewer photoreceptors. 
D)  central visual field has a higher density of photoreceptors. 
E)  retinal image is only focused at the central visual field. 
A)  visual field is distorted in the peripheral visual field. 
B)  peripheral visual field only responds to motion. 
C)  central visual field has fewer photoreceptors. 
D)  central visual field has a higher density of photoreceptors. 
E)  retinal image is only focused at the central visual field.

Question 10

You record from a cell a robust response to a bar of light 10cm in length. When you change the stimulus to a bar of light 15 cm in length, you no longer see a response. What characteristic of this cell's receptive field does your finding suggest?

Accepted Answer

A)  Pattern completion 
B)  Size specificity 
C)  End inhibition 
D)  Orientation selectivity 
E)  Direction selectivity 
A)  Pattern completion 
B)  Size specificity 
C)  End inhibition 
D)  Orientation selectivity 
E)  Direction selectivity

Question 11

A neuron in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) receives input from many retinal ganglion cells. This property is called

Accepted Answer

A)  receptive field. 
B)  convergence. 
C)  divergence. 
D)  accommodation. 
E)  dilation. 
A)  receptive field. 
B)  convergence. 
C)  divergence. 
D)  accommodation. 
E)  dilation.

Question 12

Corners, edges, and angles are best detected by which of the following cells?

Accepted Answer

A)  Photoreceptors 
B)  Retinal ganglion cells 
C)  Lateral geniculate nucleus cells 
D)  Cortical simple cells 
E)  Cortical complex cells 
A)  Photoreceptors 
B)  Retinal ganglion cells 
C)  Lateral geniculate nucleus cells 
D)  Cortical simple cells 
E)  Cortical complex cells

Question 13

Compare the anatomical arrangement of the photoreceptors in the fovea with that in the peripheral visual field. What is the functional significance of this arrangement?

Accepted Answer

Photoreceptors are more densel

Question 14

What happens when a spot of light in the center of an off-center retinal ganglion cell's receptive field is removed?

Accepted Answer

The removal of the light stimu

Question 15

The receptive fields of cells carrying information from the central visual field tend to be _______ compared to the receptive fields of cells carrying information from peripheral visual field.

Accepted Answer

A)  more active 
B)  less active 
C)  larger 
D)  smaller 
E)  about the same size 
A)  more active 
B)  less active 
C)  larger 
D)  smaller 
E)  about the same size

Question 16

In any given visual scene, the best-responding Retinal Ganglion Cells will be those with _______ in their receptive field.

Accepted Answer

A)  diffuse illumination 
B)  maximum contrast 
C)  moving spots of light 
D)  moving bars of light 
E)  horizontal lines 
A)  diffuse illumination 
B)  maximum contrast 
C)  moving spots of light 
D)  moving bars of light 
E)  horizontal lines

Question 17

A property of certain cells in visual cortex is that they respond only to a bar of light of a certain length. This property is called

Accepted Answer

A)  length constancy. 
B)  edge detection. 
C)  off-surround. 
D)  response selectivity. 
E)  end inhibition. 
A)  length constancy. 
B)  edge detection. 
C)  off-surround. 
D)  response selectivity. 
E)  end inhibition.

Question 18

You are recording action potentials from a cat Retinal Ganglion Cell, and discover that the cell has a large receptive field, low spatial resolution, and conducts action potentials quickly. What kind of cell are you recording from?

Accepted Answer

A)  Magnocellular 
B)  Parvocellular 
C)  X cell 
D)  Y cell 
E)  W cell 
A)  Magnocellular 
B)  Parvocellular 
C)  X cell 
D)  Y cell 
E)  W cell

Question 19

Which of the following is true about retinal ganglion cell receptive fields?

Accepted Answer

A)  Neighboring retinal ganglion cells always display the same receptive fields. 
B)  Neighboring retinal ganglion cells always display different receptive fields. 
C)  Neighboring retinal ganglion cell receptive fields do not overlap. 
D)  Neighboring retinal ganglion cell receptive fields overlap substantially. 
E)  Neighboring retinal ganglion cell receptive fields are antagonistic. 
A)  Neighboring retinal ganglion cells always display the same receptive fields. 
B)  Neighboring retinal ganglion cells always display different receptive fields. 
C)  Neighboring retinal ganglion cell receptive fields do not overlap. 
D)  Neighboring retinal ganglion cell receptive fields overlap substantially. 
E)  Neighboring retinal ganglion cell receptive fields are antagonistic.

Question 20

Shining an annulus ("donut") of light on the surround portion of an on-center ganglion cell's receptive field will cause that ganglion cell to fire

Accepted Answer

A)  more action potentials compared to baseline. 
B)  fewer action potentials compared to baseline. 
C)  the same frequency of action potentials compared to baseline. 
D)  more action potentials if the light is very bright. 
E)  None of the above: Light in the surround does not change the firing rate of retinal ganglion cells. 
A)  more action potentials compared to baseline. 
B)  fewer action potentials compared to baseline. 
C)  the same frequency of action potentials compared to baseline. 
D)  more action potentials if the light is very bright. 
E)  None of the above: Light in the surround does not change the firing rate of retinal ganglion cells.

Exam 2: Signaling in the Visual System

When an end-inhibited cell in visual cortex fires action potentials, what information is most likely being conveyed?

In addition to trains of action potentials from single retinal ganglion cells, what other information might the brain use to analyze visual information?

What kind of Retinal Ganglion Cell slow down or stop signaling when the central area of their field is illuminated?

Explain the difference between responses of simple and complex cells in primary visual cortex.

You are recording action potentials from a monkey retinal ganglion cell, and discover that the cell has a small receptive field, high spatial resolution, and is sensitive to color. What kind of cell are you recording from?

How do retinal ganglion cells and lateral geniculate nucleus cells respond to diffuse light? Why?

The left visual cortex receives information from the

A square that appears light when surrounded by a black border can be made to appear dark merely by increasing the brightness of the surround. This suggests that the visual cortex

We read words on a page with our central visual field. This is because the

You record from a cell a robust response to a bar of light 10cm in length. When you change the stimulus to a bar of light 15 cm in length, you no longer see a response. What characteristic of this cell's receptive field does your finding suggest?

A neuron in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) receives input from many retinal ganglion cells. This property is called

Corners, edges, and angles are best detected by which of the following cells?

Compare the anatomical arrangement of the photoreceptors in the fovea with that in the peripheral visual field. What is the functional significance of this arrangement?

What happens when a spot of light in the center of an off-center retinal ganglion cell's receptive field is removed?

The receptive fields of cells carrying information from the central visual field tend to be _______ compared to the receptive fields of cells carrying information from peripheral visual field.

In any given visual scene, the best-responding Retinal Ganglion Cells will be those with _______ in their receptive field.

A property of certain cells in visual cortex is that they respond only to a bar of light of a certain length. This property is called

You are recording action potentials from a cat Retinal Ganglion Cell, and discover that the cell has a large receptive field, low spatial resolution, and conducts action potentials quickly. What kind of cell are you recording from?

Which of the following is true about retinal ganglion cell receptive fields?

Shining an annulus ("donut") of light on the surround portion of an on-center ganglion cell's receptive field will cause that ganglion cell to fire

Principles of Signaling and Organization

Functional Architecture of the Visual Cortex

Ion Channels and Signaling

Structure of Ion Channels

Ionic Basis of the Resting Potential

Ionic Basis of the Action Potential

Electrical Signaling in Neurons

Ion Transport Across Cell Membranes

Properties and Functions of Neuroglial Cells

Mechanisms of Direct Synaptic Transmission

Indirect Mechanisms of Synaptic Transmission

Release of Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters in the Central Nervous System

Transmitter Synthesis, Storage, Transport, and Inactivation

Synaptic Plasticity

The Molecular and Cellular Biology of Synaptic Plasticity

Mechanisms of Extrasynaptic Communication

Autonomic Nervous System

Walking, Flying, and Swimming: Cellular Mechanisms of Sensorimotor Behavior in Invertebrates

Sensory Transduction

Transduction and Transmission in the Retina

Touch, Pain, and Texture Sensation

Auditory and Vestibular Sensation

Constructing Perception

Initiation and Control of Coordinated Muscular Movements

Development of the Nervous System

Critical Periods in Sensory Systems

Regeneration and Repair of Synaptic Connections After Injury

Appendix

Filters