Deck 10: Vision: From Eye to Brain

Question 1

In terrestrial mammals, the _______ is primarily responsible for refraction of light.

A) cornea
B) pupil
C) lens
D) retina

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Movement of the eyes is controlled by the _______ muscles.

A) orbital
B) ciliary
C) extraocular
D) lentiform

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Wavelengths of light are measured in

A) nanometers.
B) photons.
C) quanta.
D) All of the above

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The _______ muscles are used to change the shape of the lens.

A) orbital
B) ciliary
C) extraocular
D) lentiform

Question 5

Rods and cones in the retina are analogous to

A) hair cells in the nose.
B) the tympanic membrane of the ear.
C) papillae on the tongue.
D) hair cells in the utricle of the vestibular system.

Question 6

There are about _______ million cones in the human eye.

A) 1
B) 4
C) 20
D) 100

Question 7

The process by which the shape of the lens is altered in order to project a sharp image onto the retina is called

A) adaptation.
B) habituation.
C) accommodation.
D) refraction.

Question 8

Inhibitors of the neurotransmitter _______ cause the pupil of the eye to _______.

A) acetylcholine; dilate
B) norepinephrine; constrict
C) acetylcholine; constrict
D) GABA; dilate

Question 9

The bipolar cells of the retina have contacts with the _______ cells.

A) amacrine
B) ganglion
C) receptor
D) All of the above

Question 10

Cones in the retina form synapses with _______ cells.

A) bipolar
B) amacrine
C) ganglion
D) rod

Question 11

The human retina has about _______ million ganglion cells.

A) 1
B) 4
C) 40
D) 100

Question 12

Molecules of photopigment are concentrated in the _______ of the rods.

A) base
B) nucleus
C) inner segment
D) outer segment

Question 13

The visual system integrates stimuli over time; its performance is relatively

A) fast, but at the expense of sensitivity.
B) slow but sensitive.
C) fast and sensitive.
D) sensitive, but at the expense of acuity.

Question 14

Receptor cells and bipolar cells release the neurotransmitter

A) glutamate.
B) GABA.
C) acetylcholine.
D) glycine.

Question 15

The capture of one photon of light in a photoreceptor can block the entry of _______ Na⁺ ion(s).

A) one
B) thousands of
C) hundreds of thousands of
D) millions of

Question 16

The chemical within rods that reacts to light is known as

A) opsin.
B) retinal.
C) rhodan.
D) rhodopsin.

Question 17

The G protein that is active when light strikes rods is

A) cyclic GMP.
B) opsin.
C) retinal.
D) transducin.

Question 18

The photoreceptor substance phosphodiesterase

A) activates transducin.
B) reduces cGMP concentrations.
C) opens sodium channels.
D) captures a single quantum of light.

Question 19

The most important factor influencing adaptation to light intensity is most likely the

A) balance between the breakdown and recombination of pigment.
B) availability of Ca²⁺ ions.
C) availability of molecules of phosphodiesterase.
D) structure of the eye.

Question 20

The brightest light at which we can see is about _______ times as intense as the dimmest light at which we can see.

A) 100,000
B) 10 million
C) 1 billion
D) 10 billion

Question 21

The blind spot in our visual field is created by _______ at the _______.

A) densely packed cones; lens
B) fewer rods than cones; fovea
C) thicker photoreceptors; optic nerve
D) a lack of photoreceptors; optic disc

Question 22

The best way to see a dim star is to look for it _______ your visual field.

A) in the center of
B) nearest the blind spot in
C) completely askance from
D) slightly off center in

Question 23

Cones are most densely concentrated in which part of the human retina?

A) Blind spot
B) Fovea
C) Periphery
D) No one part; cones are evenly distributed across the retina.

Question 24

Primary visual cortex is located around the

A) Sylvian sulcus.
B) Rolandic sulcus.
C) calcarine sulcus.
D) optic chiasm.

Question 25

Refer to the figure.
If a person sustained damage to the region indicated by the arrow in the figure,

A) light information from the individual's retina would no longer reach their visual cortex.
B) the individual would no longer be able to orient their gaze to see an object.
C) the individual would be blind.
D) the individual would only be able to see shadows and shades of light and dark.

Question 26

If the optic radiations were cut, which structure(s) would lose light information?

A) Primary visual cortex
B) Superior colliculus and primary visual cortex
C) Lateral geniculate nucleus and primary visual cortex
D) Superior colliculus and pulvinar

Question 27

Which sequence represents the route by which visual information is transmitted?

A) Optic tract  optic nerve  optic radiations
B) Optic radiations  optic nerve  optic tract
C) Optic nerve  optic radiations  optic tract
D) Optic nerve  optic tract  optic radiations

Question 28

Damage that affects the nasal retinal ganglion cell axons from both eyes would most likely result in a scotoma to

A) the left visual field.
B) the right visual field.
C) both left and right visual fields.
D) the central portion of the visual field.

Question 29

A point of light located in the upper left of the visual field projects onto the _______ part of the retina.

A) upper left
B) lower right
C) upper right
D) lower left

Question 30

The similarity of the eyes of humans and cephalopods is an example of

A) direct evolution.
B) the transmission of genetic information via bacterial transfection.
C) evolutionary conservation.
D) convergent evolution.

Question 31

Bipolar cells have receptive fields that

A) are orientation specific.
B) are color sensitive.
C) are concentric.
D) show a high rate of spontaneous activity.

Question 32

The distinction between the magnocellular and parvocellular cell layers refers to the composition of the

A) retinal bipolar cells.
B) retinal ganglia.
C) lateral geniculate nucleus.
D) striate cortex.

Question 33

An on-center/off-surround cell responds most strongly when

A) the entire center and surround are illuminated.
B) a spot of light illuminates part of the center.
C) the entire center is illuminated.
D) a spot of light illuminates part of the surround.

Question 34

The receptive fields of retinal ganglion cells are

A) complex.
B) concentric.
C) hypercomplex.
D) eccentric.

Question 35

Cells in the primate LGN have receptive fields that

A) are orientation specific.
B) are color sensitive.
C) are concentric.
D) show a high rate of spontaneous activity.

Question 36

The process that enhances the boundaries of visual objects is called

A) lateral inhibition.
B) edge detection.
C) spatial frequency filtration.
D) spectral opponency.

Question 37

Simple cortical visual cells are most likely to be activated by

A) bars of particular width, orientation, and location in the visual field.
B) movement of a bar or edge.
C) a boundary between two hues.
D) bars of a particular size and orientation, anywhere in the visual field.

Question 38

The spatial-frequency filter model is used in studying responses to

A) an edge or a bar.
B) two lines meeting at an angle.
C) bars of a particular length.
D) spacing of stimuli.

Question 39

In area V5 of the visual cortex, cells appear to be sensitive to _______ but not to _______.

A) movement; wavelength
B) wavelength; orientation
C) form; movement
D) wavelength; movement

Question 40

If a person loses the ability to detect illusory contours, the structure that most likely has sustained damage is area _______ of the visual cortex.

A) V1
B) V2
C) V3
D) V4

Question 41

The parvocellular part of the primate LGN consists of _______ layers.

A) two inner
B) two outer
C) four inner
D) four outer

Question 42

Cortical regions that respond to stimuli of different orientations are arranged in

A) stripes.
B) concentric bands.
C) pinwheels.
D) columns.

Question 43

Ocular dominance is seen especially strongly in layer _______ of primary visual cortex?

A) II
B) III
C) IV
D) V

Question 44

Which of the following is not represented in primary visual cortex?

A) Ocular dominance
B) Color
C) Location in the visual field
D) All of the above are represented in primary visual cortex.

Question 45

Cortical regions that respond to stimulation of one eye are arranged in

A) spots.
B) concentric bands.
C) pinwheels.
D) slabs.

Question 46

The cortical region _______ is especially rich in color-sensitive cells.

A) V1
B) V2
C) V4
D) V5

Question 47

Cortical area V4 has many cells that respond preferentially to

A) motion.
B) concentric and radial stimuli.
C) moving bars of light.
D) motion of complex forms.

Question 48

The domestic cat is a(n)

A) excellent trichromat.
B) robust dichromat.
C) feeble dichromat.
D) feeble trichromat.

Question 49

The dominant contemporary theory of color discrimination is the

A) Helmholtz trichromatic hypothesis.
B) Hering opponent-process hypothesis.
C) De Valois hypothesis of spectrally opponent cells.
D) Zeki hypothesis of cortical color processing.

Question 50

Which of the following is not part of the continuum of mammalian color vision?

A) Excellent trichromatic color vision
B) Robust dichromatic color vision
C) Feeble dichromatic vision of species that have few cones
D) Total lack of wavelength discrimination

Question 51

The genes for the wavelength-sensitive pigments in visual receptors are found on the _______ chromosome. This is the reason that "color blindness" is more prevalent in _______.

A) X; men
B) Y; men
C) X; women
D) Y; women

Question 52

Among mammals, color vision is

A) weak in some primate species.
B) trichromatic in some Carnivora.
C) usually stronger in nocturnal than in diurnal species of the same family.
D) completely lacking in some species.

Question 53

The lowest level of the nervous system in which cells are found whose responses correspond to our perceptions of color is the

A) retina.
B) lateral geniculate.
C) visual cortex.
D) None of the above

Question 54

Retinal receptors (i.e., rods and cones) show _______ different curves of spectral sensitivity.

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five

Question 55

There are _______ main kinds of spectrally opponent cells in the LGN.

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) six

Question 56

Which choice correctly labels the figure?

A) A: S cones; B: Rods; C: M cones; D: L cones
B) A: Rods; B: S cones; C: M cones; D: L cones
C) A: Rods; B: L cones; C: M cones; D: S cones
D) A: M cones; B: Rods; C: S cones; D: L cones

Question 57

Refer to the figure.
Which response is typical of a +(L+M)/-S spectrally opponent cell?

A) Graph a
B) Graph b
C) Graph c
D) Graph d

Question 58

There are about twice as many _______ receptors than _______ receptors, and far fewer _______ receptors.

A) S; M; L
B) M; S; L
C) M; L; S
D) L; M; S

Question 59

The dorsal stream system of visual processing is said to specialize in processing information about _______, whereas the ventral stream of visual processing is said to specialize in processing information about _______.

A) what; where
B) who; when
C) where; what
D) when; who

Question 60

A patient with damage to the V5 area will likely be unable to perceive

A) the color of a roller coaster.
B) the brightness of the lights on a roller coaster.
C) the motion of a roller coaster.
D) which direction the roller coaster is going.

Question 61

Mirror neurons were first observed in the _______ of a monkey that was observing motor movements performed by another monkey.

A) supplementary motor area
B) primary motor cortex
C) premotor cortex
D) basal ganglia

Question 62

What experimental evidence suggests that a person born with no photoreceptors can be helped?

A) Photoreceptors from immature mice can become incorporated into normal retinal circuitry when transplanted into genetically altered mice with dysfunctional rods.
B) Photoreceptors from immature mice increase visual acuity when transplanted into genetically altered mice with dysfunctional rods.
C) Bipolar neurons can respond to light directly when viruses induce retinal bipolar cells to express a light-sensitive ion channel.
D) All of the above

Question 63

Refer to the figure.
An individual whose vision is illustrated by the figure

A) has normal vision.
B) has amblyopia.
C) has myopia.
D) is farsighted.

Question 64

Myopia has become more common since the advent of public schooling. Research on this phenomenon

A) has not been performed because it is unethical to try to make a child develop myopia.
B) suggests that it is the quality of indoor lighting that increases the likelihood of developing myopia.
C) suggests that extended periods of close focus, from reading books in school, causes myopia.
D) has determined that not enough outdoor time is the reason for this increase in myopia rates.

Question 65

Which statement about visual deficiencies is most accurate?

A) Amblyopia is untreatable.
B) Studies suggest that once a person loses their sight, they will never see again.
C) Myopia is a problem with eye muscles that causes poor alignment and, if untreated, eventually leads to blindness.
D) Due to loss of retinal pigmented epithelium in the fovea, people with macular degeneration can see, but everything they see is blurry.

Question 66

The human visual system discriminates light of _______ ranging from about 400 to 700 nm.

Question 67

The relationship between the number of visual receptor cells to the number of ganglion cells demonstrates _______ of information.

Question 68

When struck by photons, rhodopsin molecules dissociate into retinal and _______.

Question 69

The lack of photoreceptors at the optic disc creates a _______ in our visual field.

Question 70

Visual acuity is best in the region of the retina called the _______.

Question 71

The boundaries of visual objects are enhanced through the process of _______.

Question 72

In the human visual system, fibers from the _______ part of the retina cross over at the optic chiasm.

Question 73

In _______ cells, light falling in the center of the cell causes inhibition, and light falling in the surround causes excitation.

Question 74

Retinal receptor cells release the neurotransmitter _______.

Question 75

The visual cortical region _______ cortex contains many cells that respond to highly specific stimuli, such as complex forms and faces.

Question 76

Human infants are unimpressed by stereograms until three or four months of age, suggesting that _______ are not developed before that age.

Question 77

In _______ cells, two different regions of the spectrum of visible light have opposite effects on the rate of cell firing.

Question 78

The _______ stream of visual processing may be said to process the "what" information in visual inputs.

Question 79

Neurons in the motor cortex of a monkey that are active when the subject observes another individual making a particular movement are called _______ neurons.

Question 80

_______ macular degeneration can occur when a blow to the head causes retinal capillaries to grow abnormally.