Deck 46: Animal Sensory Systems and Movement

Question 1

If you experimentally reduce the concentration of K⁺ in the extracellular fluid surrounding hair cells in the inner ear,the result would be like which of the following?

A)decreasing the volume of sound reaching the hair cells
B)increasing the volume of sound reaching the hair cells
C)decreasing the frequency of sound reaching the hair cells
D)increasing the frequency of sound reaching the hair cells

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Pit vipers can detect and strike in complete darkness because of their ability to detect

A)infrared wavelengths.
B)ultraviolet wavelengths.
C)rapid movements.
D)odors at extremely low concentration.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

How does the ear allow humans to distinguish the volume of different sounds?

A)Louder sounds cause larger action potentials than softer sounds.
B)Louder sounds cause smaller action potentials than softer sounds.
C)Louder sounds induce a higher frequency of action potentials than softer sounds.
D)Louder sounds induce a lower frequency of action potentials than softer sounds.
E)Answers A and C are both correct.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which type of receptor would you expect to be most abundant in the antennae of a moth?

A)thermoreceptors
B)mechanoreceptors
C)chemoreceptors
D)electroreceptors
E)nociceptors

Question 5

Researchers surgically fuse two of the three ossicles in the inner ear of a mouse,effectively leaving two functional,linked ossicles in place of three.When the mouse's hearing is tested,what outcome would be expected?

A)The mouse would be more sensitive to sound,but only in the low-frequency range.
B)The mouse would be more sensitive to sound,but only in the high-frequency range.
C)The mouse would be more sensitive to sound in general.
D)The mouse would be less sensitive to sound in general.

Question 6

How would the absence of the enzyme photodiesterase (PDE)affect vision in the vertebrate eye?

A)The opsins found in cones would not be differentiated into the red,blue,and green proteins,causing the animals to be color blind.
B)The cGMP-gated sodium channels would remain open,glutamate would be continuously discharged at the synapses,and the brain would not detect light absorbed by the rod cells.
C)The lens could not be appropriately adjusted to focus light on the retina,resulting in either nearsightedness or farsightedness.
D)All of the above answers are correct.

Question 7

A salmon follows a scent trail upstream to find its way back to the stream where it hatched.What type of sensory receptor cell would it use?

A)thermoreceptors
B)mechanoreceptors
C)chemoreceptors
D)electroreceptors
E)nociceptors

Question 8

Bat echolocation (sonar)is most closely related to which human sensory system?

A)hearing
B)smell
C)taste
D)touch
E)vision

Question 9

What is the function of the cochlea?

A)to amplify the sound vibrations
B)to collect sound pressure waves
C)to detect the frequency of sounds
D)A and B
E)all of the above

Question 10

How would the vision of a fly be affected if several of the axons extending from the ommatidia of its compound eye were damaged?

A)The fly could not detect light in the affected eye.
B)The fly would be color blind in the affected eye.
C)The fly would have reduced resolution in the affected eye.
D)The fly's vision would not be affected,because the remaining functional ommatidia can adjust to compensate for the damaged ones.

Question 11

Hair cells in the vertebrate ear are responsible for transducing sound pressure waves.Ion channels in the hair cell membrane open when

A)a chemical ligand binds to the ion channel.
B)light is absorbed by a molecule in the membrane.
C)the cell membrane reaches a threshold voltage.
D)the membrane is distorted mechanically.

Question 12

Elephants hear sounds that are too low for humans to hear.This sensitivity is primarily due to the differences in the

A)arrangement and shape of the ossicles.
B)flexibility of the basilar membrane in the cochlea.
C)size and flexibility of the tympanic membrane (eardrum).
D)size and shape of the outer ear.
E)All of the above apply.

Question 13

Which type of receptor is involved in sound detection?

A)thermoreceptors
B)mechanoreceptors
C)chemoreceptors
D)electroreceptors
E)nociceptors

Question 14

A person able to hear only high-frequency sounds would probably have which of the following structural problems in the ear?

A)The tympanum is damaged because of chronic ear infections.
B)The basilar membrane is stiffened along its entire length.
C)The ear ossicles are abnormally thickened.
D)All of the above problems could result in inability to detect low-frequency sound.

Question 15

The amount of depolarization that occurs in a sound-receptor cell is proportional to the volume (loudness)of the sound.

A)true
B)false

Question 16

Corneal surgery is now routinely performed to improve vision.This surgery

A)improves the circulation of nutrients to the eye.
B)improves the focusing of light onto the retina.
C)increases the amount of light entering the eye.
D)increases the sensitivity of the photoreceptors.
E)answers B and C both apply.

Question 17

How could you genetically modify an animal so that it would distinguish more shades of green?

A)Induce genes to produce a greater number of cone cells in the fovea.
B)Introduce genes for different opsins that respond in the green region of the spectrum.
C)Introduce genes to produce green fluid in the eyeball,because green fluids will not absorb green light.
D)Induce increased production of cGMP to increase opening of cGMP-gated sodium channels.

Question 18

How would an abnormally large oval window in a mouse affect that animal's hearing?

A)The mouse could detect noise at much lower volumes.
B)The mouse could detect noise in a much broader range of frequencies.
C)Hearing ability would be reduced in comparison with normal mice.
D)Hearing is not affected by the size of the oval window.

Question 19

What is the function of sensory receptor cells?

A)to receive a signal from the environment
B)to transduce a signal from the environment
C)to integrate a signal from the environment
D)all of the above
E)A and B only

Question 20

Partial or complete loss of hearing (deafness)can be caused by damage to the

A)axons of the neurons associated with each hair cell that carry information to the brain.
B)hair cells (the sensory receptors)in the cochlea.
C)tympanic membrane,or eardrum.
D)A and B apply.
E)All of the above apply.

Question 21

Training for long-distance running causes a significant increase in

A)the cross-sectional area of slow-twitch muscle fibers (cells).
B)the number of myofibrils per muscle fiber (cell),increasing cell size.
C)the number of slow-twitch muscle fibers (cells).
D)A and B apply.
E)All of the above apply.

Question 22

What would happen to people exposed to a chemical warfare agent that blocked acetylcholine from binding to muscle receptors?

A)Action potentials would be continuously generated,causing convulsive muscle contractions.
B)Muscle contractions would be prevented,causing paralysis.
C)Muscle contractions could still occur,but relaxation of the muscle would be impaired.
D)Answers A and B both apply.

Question 23

A patient is hospitalized with muscle spasms caused by failure of back muscles to relax after contraction.Which of the following would be most likely to help?

A)Inject calcium into the muscle cell because it is not being released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
B)Induce tropomycin and troponin to bind to the myosin binding sites on actin.
C)Increase the amount of acetylcholine at the synapses between motor neurons and muscle cells.
D)Depolarize the motor neurons to send an action potential to the muscle cells.

Question 24

When an action potential from a motor neuron arrives at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ),a series of events occurs that leads to muscle contraction.Which of the following events will occur last (i.e.,after all of the others)?

A)ACh release
B)action potential propagation down the T-tubules
C)conformational change in troponin
D)depolarization of the muscle cell
E)release of Ca⁺⁺ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum

Question 25

Which of the following is not a true description of the transduction of a stimulus by sensory receptors into signals in the form of action potentials?

A)Pressure from sound waves bends cilia in specialized hearing cells,causing ion channels in the plasma membrane to open or close and resulting in a change in ion flow that depolarizes or hyperpolarizes the membrane.
B)Light can cause some molecules to change conformation,which then triggers a cascade of events leading to a change in the cell's membrane.
C)Molecules in the air travel up the nose to the mucous membranes,where they bend cilia in hair cells,open ion channels,and cause depolarization of the cell membrane.
D)Na⁺ and H⁺ can flow through sodium and proton channels respectively to directly depolarize the cell membranes of some taste cells,causing the salty or sour taste sensations.
E)Many types of molecules can bind to a variety of receptors in taste cells,leading to depolarization of the cell membrane and causing the taste sensation of bitterness.

Question 26

Which of the sequence of events below best describes how hair cells (sterocilia)in the rabbit ear provide the brain with information about stimulus intensity?

A)Soft wind bends the hair,Na⁺ channels open leading to depolarization,low concentration of neurotransmitter released and low frequency of action potentials in afferent neuron to the brain.
B)Strong wind bends the hair,Na⁺ channels open leading to hyperpolarization,high concentration of neurotransmitter released and high frequency of action potentials in afferent neuron to the brain.
C)Soft wind bends the hair,K⁺ channels open leading to hyperpolarization of the membrane,low concentration of neurotransmitter released and low frequency of action potentials within the afferent neuron to the brain.
D)Strong wind bends the hair,K⁺ channels open leading to depolarization,high concentration of neurotransmitter released and high frequency of action potentials within the afferent neuron to the brain.

Question 27

Compared to human eyes,the eyes of cephalopods (squid and octopus)

A)are extremely similar,with no significant differences.
B)are not camera eyes and do not have a single lens.
C)are inferior because they have few photoreceptors.
D)have an adaptive advantage because they do not have a blind spot.

Question 28

You have a baby that does not seem to respond to sound.Upon thorough investigation by the doctor,there is nothing visibly wrong with the baby's ears.What internal issue may there be that is causing hearing impairment in your baby?

A)The stereocilia within the middle ear are malformed so sound is not transmitted from the outer ear to the inner ear.
B)The auditory ossicles within the inner ear are not transmitting the sound waves properly because the first and second ossicles broke apart.
C)The stereocilia within the cochlea are malformed,causing them not to bend properly in response to vibrations of the cochlear membranes caused by different sound frequencies.

Question 29

Which sequence of events below best describes how sensory receptors within the lateral line of many fish provide information about stimulus intensity to the brain?

A)Depolarization leads to a small change in membrane potential,inducing a high frequency of action potentials.
B)Hyperpolarization leads to a small change in membrane potential,inducing a high frequency of action potentials.
C)Depolarization leads to a large change in membrane potential,inducing a high frequency of action potentials.
D)Hyperpolarization leads to a large change in membrane potential,inducing a low frequency of action potentials.

Question 30

When a doctor tests your patellar reflex by tapping the tendon on the front of your knee,your lower leg comes forward.Which muscle is activated in this reflex?

A)hamstring (located in the back of your thigh)
B)quadriceps (located in the front of your thigh)

Question 31

Rhodopsins are light-sensitive molecules composed of a protein (opsin)and a pigment (retinal).The opsin portion of rhodopsin is an example of a

A)peripheral protein.
B)monotopic integral membrane protein.
C)polytopic integral membrane protein.
D)phospholipid.

Question 32

What effect would this conotoxin have on the prey?

A)It would cause muscle spasms in the prey.
B)It would result in paralysis of the skeletal muscle.
C)It would stimulate digestive tract smooth muscle to cause nausea and vomiting.
D)Either B or C,or both B and C.

Question 33

Acidic amino acids will taste sour.

A)true
B)false

Question 34

What is the function of the sarcoplasmic reticulum?

A)to store and release ATP
B)to store and release ACh
C)to store and release Ca⁺⁺
D)to store and release myosin
E)to store and release troponin

Question 35

Mammals have a family of 500 and 1000 genes that encode receptor proteins on the surface of odor-receptor neurons.If all mammals have these genes,why do some mammals have a better sense of smell than others do?

A)Some of the genes actively transcribing receptor proteins in some species are completely absent in other species.
B)Some of the genes may have been mutated and rendered inactive in some species but not in others.
C)Some species,particularly humans,rely much less on odor detection for survival;thus,the genes have mutated to encode proteins that aid in other senses,such as sight.
D)Some species of mammals have a larger set of "basic odors" than other species.

Question 36

What causes rigor mortis?

A)exhaustion of Ca²⁺ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum
B)lack of ATP in dead tissue
C)lack of acetylcholine (ACh)in dead tissue
D)cessation of action potentials after death

Question 37

Two students studying physiology taste a known "bitter" substance,and both report sensing bitterness.They then sample another substance.Student A reports sensing both a bitter taste and a salty taste,but student B reports only a salty taste.What is the most logical explanation?

A)Student A had an allergic reaction to the food,causing him to perceive the food as being bitter.
B)Student A has normal "bitter" taste buds;student B has defective "bitter" taste buds that result in lower sensitivity to bitterness.
C)Student A has a protein receptor capable of detecting a bitter molecule found in that substance,whereas student B lacks that particular protein receptor.
D)Student A has normal saliva,whereas student B's saliva is more alkaline than normal.

Question 38

How do citrus fruits such as lemons cause the basic taste of sour?

A)Citrus fruits release protons (from citric acid)that flow directly into taste cells through H⁺ channels in the plasma membrane.
B)The vitamin C of citrus fruits binds to specialized receptors on the plasma membrane of taste cells that trigger a sour taste response.
C)Sugars and vitamin C molecules bind simultaneously to receptors on the taste cells,creating a mix of bitter and sweet that results in the sour taste.
D)Citric acid amplifies the sour taste of vitamin C when it binds to specialized receptors on the taste cells.

Question 39

This particular conotoxin inhibits acetylcholine receptors that are located

A)along the motor neuron axon.
B)on motor neuron dendrites.
C)on the presynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction.
D)on the postsynaptic membrane,on the muscle cell.

Question 40

What would be the effect on muscle contraction if troponin were experimentally altered to no longer interact with tropomyosin,so the complex could no longer bind to actin?

A)Muscle contraction could no longer occur.
B)Muscles could not relax after contraction.
C)Muscle contraction would be weakened,but would still occur as long as tropomyosin is functional.
D)ATP could not be hydrolyzed by enzymes in the muscle.

Question 41

You work in a lab and are given a slide with a stained specimen on it,but your colleague forgot to label the slide.You look at the specimen under the microscope and notice that the cells are branched,striated,and contain one or two nuclei.Based on these characteristics,what type of tissue would you hypothesize the specimen is?

A)muscle
B)nervous
C)connective
D)epithelial

Question 42

Vertebrates and cephalopods have eyes that are structurally very similar.One key difference is that cephalopods do not have a blind spot.What causes the blind spot in vertebrates?

A)The eye has 2 lens,so there is an area where the lenses converge where focus is lost and the picture vanishes.
B)An area of the retina does not have photoreceptors on it.
C)Axons of the ganglion cells exiting the eye through the optic nerve block some of the photoreceptor cells on the inner surface of the retina.
D)Both A and B are reasons why vertebrates have a blind spot.
E)Both B and C are reasons why vertebrates have a blind spot.

Question 43

You work in a lab and are given a slide with a stained specimen on it,but your colleague forgot to label the slide.You look at the specimen under the microscope and notice that the cells are branched,striated,and contain one or two nuclei.Based on these characteristics,what type of muscular tissue would you hypothesize the specimen is?

A)smooth
B)visceral
C)cardiac
D)skeletal