Question 1

Which scenario will most likely result in the HIGHEST concentration of odorant molecules?

Accepted Answer

A)   Chen opens the refrigerator to find the fish from last night's dinner rotting away.
B)   Roberto, the neighbor next door, is grilling chicken in his backyard.
C)   Aida spills a drop of perfume on her balcony.
D)   A skunk sprays a dog that lives two blocks away from Imamu's home. A

Question 2

A _____ consists of two or more atoms bound together by electromagnetic forces.

Accepted Answer

A)   nucleus
B)   molecule
C)   neuron
D)   receptor B

Question 3

Which subdivision of the piriform cortex represents the quality of an odor, regardless of whether the odor is simple or complex?

Accepted Answer

A)   anterior
B)   posterior
C)   lateral
D)   medial B

Question 4

Which odorant has the LOWEST detection threshold?

Accepted Answer

A)   vanillin
B)   chlorine
C)   acetone
D)   menthol

Question 5

Describe the effects of three different causes of olfactory impairments. Explain how olfactory performance is recovered in these cases (if possible).

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the effects of three different causes...

Question 6

Which area in the brain is responsible for odor-evoked memories to be quickly acquired and become long lasting?

Accepted Answer

A)   the hippocampus
B)   the thalamus
C)   the piriform cortex
D)   the hypothalamus

Question 7

Axons of mitral and tufted cells form the:

Accepted Answer

A)   olfactory tract.
B)   olfactory nerve.
C)   turbinates.
D)   olfactory bulb.

Question 8

Which statement is NOT true of acquired anosmia?

Accepted Answer

A)   The ability to smell odors is lost.
B)   The ability to taste flavors is diminished.
C)   Mood changes, such as depression, can occur.
D)   This condition is irreversible.

Question 9

The fact that odor-evoked memories that tend to be quickly acquired, long lasting, and emotionally charged has been attributed to the fact that the olfactory pathway includes the amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex, and the:

Accepted Answer

A)   larynx.
B)   thalamus.
C)   pharynx.
D)   hippocampus.

Question 10

Cindy inhales a complex mixture of odorants that she recognizes and identifies as bacon. Which area of the piriform cortex is responsible for her ability to name the odor?

Accepted Answer

A)   anterior
B)   posterior
C)   lateral
D)   medial

Question 11

The vomeronasal olfactory system in many species:

Accepted Answer

A)   is another name for the main olfactory system.
B)   is the system for detecting pheromones.
C)   includes the piriform cortex in its pathway.
D)   does not include the amygdala in its pathway.

Question 12

Dogs are more sensitive at detecting odors than humans because:

Accepted Answer

A)   dogs have more types of receptors but the same overall number of receptors.
B)   both have the same number of receptors. However, more sophisticated processing occurs at the cortical level in dogs.
C)   dogs have fewer types of receptors, so they become less confused between smells.
D)   dogs have as many as 1 billion receptors, while humans have only 3-7 million.

Question 13

Amanda smells the shirts of six different men whom she has never met. According to the research by Jacob et al. (2002) on the role of Human Leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes responsible for regulating the immune system in offspring, Amanda will prefer the shirts of men who have HLA genes that are:

Accepted Answer

A)   very different from her own.
B)   the closest match to her own.
C)   preferred by the majority of other women.
D)   rated as strongest in concentration.

Question 14

The _____ is the only brain region that both receives signals directly from the olfactory bulb and is known to be dedicated solely to olfaction.

Accepted Answer

A)   entorhinal cortex
B)   amygdala
C)   piriform cortex
D)   hypothalamus

Question 15

The women on a soccer team find that by the end of the soccer season their menstrual cycles have become more synchronized. Explain how odor detection and pheromones could account for this finding.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The women on a soccer team find...

Question 16

The olfactory pathway from the receptors to the cortex does NOT go through the thalamus. This suggests that the:

Accepted Answer

A)   olfactory system evolved earlier than the other sensory systems did.
B)   olfactory system evolved later than the other sensory systems did.
C)   olfactory pathway came into existence after the thalamus developed.
D)   the other sensory systems coevolved with the olfactory system.

Question 17

If an organism only had three types of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), how many different odorants could be encoded? (Assume each ORN can have only one level of activation; it is either active or inactive.)

Accepted Answer

The answer of If an organism only had three types...

Question 18

Miller and Maner (2010) had male college students smell T-shirts worn by women as they slept. Some of the T-shirts had been worn by the women on the nights closest to ovulation, some on the nights farthest from ovulation, and some had never been worn. The men were asked to rate the pleasantness of the odors of the T-shirts. The results showed that there were:

Accepted Answer

A)   no differences in pleasantness ratings across the different T-shirt conditions.
B)   differences in pleasantness ratings, with the highest ratings for the T-shirts of the ovulating women.
C)   differences in pleasantness ratings, with the highest ratings for the T-shirts of the females who were not ovulating.
D)   differences in pleasantness ratings, with the lowest ratings for the unworn T-shirts.

Question 19

Willander and Larsson (2006) studied autobiographical memories elicited by odors, words, or pictures for participants 65 to 80 years of age. They found that for the group that:

Accepted Answer

A)   saw words or pictures describing the odors, the greatest percentage of evoked memories came from the most recent decade of life.
B)   saw words or pictures describing the odors, the greatest percentage of evoked memories came from the first decade of life.
C)   smelled odors, the greatest percentage of evoked memories came from the most recent decade of life.
D)   smelled odors, the greatest percentage of evoked memories came from the first decade of life.

Question 20

Which statement is NOT true about the eNose?

Accepted Answer

A)   It contains only a few dozen types of sensors compared with the 350 receptors found in the human nose.
B)   Each sensor can respond to a range of substances.
C)   Each odorant results in a unique pattern of responses that can be used to identify the molecule.
D)   It does not respond to the same molecules to which the human nose responds.

Exam 14: Olfaction: Perceiving Odors