Ch46 Test File-Sensory Systems

Test File
to accompany
Life: The Science of Biology, Ninth Edition
Sadava • Hillis • Heller • Berenbaum
Chapter 46: Sensory Systems
TEST FILE QUESTIONS

(By Paul Nolan)
Multiple Choice
1. Humans are unable to see the _______ region of the electromagnetic radiation
spectrum.
a. infrared
b. orange
c. green
d. violet
e. None of the above; humans can see all of these regions.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 46.0 Out of range
Page: 964
Bloom’s Category: 1. Remembering
2. The advantage of communicating by means of extremely low-frequency sound waves

is that
a. it permits coordination of attacks on prey.
b. these waves travel a very long distance.
c. the echoes of these waves bouncing back help locate prey.
d. the echoes of these waves bouncing back help in navigation.
e. All of the above
Answer: b
Page: 964
Bloom’s Category: 2. Understanding
3. Which anatomical adaptation allows bats to hear the echoes of their high-pitched sound
pulses?
a. A pit organ in front of their eyes
b. Fatty deposits surrounding their jaw
c. Small muscles that adjust their hearing sensitivity
d. Membranes of their wings that vibrate in response to the echoes
e. None of the above
Answer: c
Page: 965
4. In general, _______ are cells of the nervous system that transduce physical or chemical
stimuli into signals that are transmitted to other parts of the nervous system for
processing and interpretation.
a. sensory cells
b. effectors
c. glial cells of the blood–brain barrier
d. nuclei within the midbrain
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 46.1 How Do Sensory Cells Convert Stimuli into Action Potentials?
Page: 965
5. Which of the following statements regarding the stimulation of receptor proteins

within plasma membranes is true?
a. The receptor proteins of mechanoreceptors and thermoreceptors are themselves the ion
channels.
b. The receptor proteins of chemoreceptors and photoreceptors initiate biochemical
cascades that eventually open and close ion channels.
c. Receptor proteins are integral to the sensory process.
d. Both a and b
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Page: 965
6. Sensory cells transduce physical or chemical stimuli

a. from one form to another.
b. into a change of membrane potential.
c. from an action potential into a synaptic signal.
d. by summing incoming action potentials.
e. into different forms to be sent to the brain.
Answer: b
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7. Which of the following likely have no receptor protein associated with them?
a. Electrosensors
b. Mechanoreceptors
c. Thermoreceptors
d. Chemoreceptors
e. Photoreceptors
Answer: a
Page: 965
8. Receptor potentials produce action potentials in two ways: by generating action

potentials within the sensory cells, or by causing the release of _______, which induces
an associated neuron to generate action potentials.
a. a hormone
b. ATP
c. interleukin
d. a neurotransmitter
e. glucagon
Answer: d
Page: 965
9. Which of the following are ionotropic sensory receptors?

a. Mechanoreceptors
b. Thermoreceptors
c. Electroreceptors
d. Both a and b
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Page: 965–966
10. Which of the following are not metabotropic sensory receptors?

a. Chemoreceptors
b. Photoreceptors
c. Thermoreceptors
d. All of the above are metabotropic sensory receptors.
e. None of the above are metabotropic sensory receptors.
Answer: c
Page: 965–966
11. If you brush against a doorway as you enter a room, you will trigger
a. an ionotropic sensory receptor.
b. the opening of a pressure-sensitive cation channel.
c. a metabotropic sensory receptor.
d. a second messenger system.
e. Both a and b
Answer: e
Page: 965–966
Bloom’s Category: 3. Applying
12. The sound of the alarm clock in the morning triggers _______ in the sleeper.
a. an ionotropic sensory receptor
b. the opening of a pressure-sensitive cation channel
c. a metabotropic sensory receptor
d. a second messenger system
e. Both a and b
Answer: e
Page: 965–966
13. The warmth of the sun on one’s face triggers

b. the opening of a cation channel.
e. Both a and b
Answer: e
Page: 965–966
14. Which of the following statements about a sensory cell is false?

a. It is specialized for detecting specific kinds of stimuli.
b. It transduces energy into action potentials.
c. It generates receptor potentials, which travel long distances.
d. It can generate action potentials.
e. It can become insensitive to a source of continuous stimulation.
Answer: c
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15. Which of the following are metabotropic sensory receptors?

a. Chemoreceptors
b. Photoreceptors
c. Thermoreceptors
d. Both a and b
e. All of the above
Answer: d
Page: 966
16. Which of the following are not ionotropic sensory receptors?

a. Mechanoreceptors
b. Thermoreceptors
c. Chemoreceptors
d. Electroreceptors
e. All of the above are ionotropic sensory receptors.
Answer: c
Page: 966
17. The smell of baking bread triggers

e. Both c and d
Answer: e
Page: 966
18. Bright light shining directly into one’s eye will trigger
e. Both c and d
Answer: e
Page: 966
19. Which of the following statements about receptor potentials is false?

a. They can cause the release of a neurotransmitter.
b. They can cause an action potential.
c. They are a change in membrane potential of the sensory cell.
d. They can spread over long distances.
e. They can be amplified.
Answer: d
Page: 966–967
20. The magnitude of a receptor potential

a. depends on the strength of the incoming action potential.
b. remains high even after a long period of stimulation.
c. is the same no matter what the type of stimulus.
d. depends on the amount of neurotransmitter released.
e. affects the frequency of resulting action potentials.
Answer: e
Page: 966–967
21. Which of the following represents the correct order of the flow of information in a
stretch receptor that generates an action potential?
a. Stimulus, ion channel, action potential, receptor protein, neurotransmitter release
b. Stimulus, neurotransmitter release, action potential, ion channel, receptor protein
c. Stimulus, receptor protein, ion channel, action potential, neurotransmitter release
d. Stimulus, action potential, neurotransmitter release, receptor protein, ion channel
e. Stimulus, receptor protein, action potential, neurotransmitter release, ion channel
Answer: c
Page: 966–970
22. Which of the following behaviors results from the adaptation of sensory cells?
a. Going into a deep sleep
b. Discriminating different colors
c. Ignoring your shoes as you walk
d. Detecting high-pitched notes
e. Detecting sound and light simultaneously
Answer: c
Page: 967
23. Which of the following statements about sensory cells is false?

a. Most sensory cells are modified neurons.
b. Sensory cells can respond equally to all types of stimuli.
c. Changes in stimulus strength lead to changes in a sensory cell’s receptor potential.
d. Sensory cells display a phenomenon called adaptation.
e. Some are assembled with other cell types that enhance the sensory cells’ ability to
collect, filter, and amplify stimuli.
Answer: b
Page: 967
24. Chemoreceptors
a. are possessed by all animals.
b. can cause strong behavioral responses.
c. do not undergo adaptation.
d. Both a and b
e. All of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 46.2 How Do Sensory Systems Detect Chemical Stimuli?
Page: 967–968
25. Which of the following are not mechanoreceptors?

a. Stretch receptors
b. Hair cells
c. Pressure receptors
d. Olfactory receptors
e. Airflow receptors
Answer: d
Page: 967–971
26. One of the best-studied examples of chemosensory receptors is Bombyx mori, a

member of the _______ group.
a. cephalopod
b. arthropod
c. chordate
d. ctenophore
e. annelid
Answer: b
Page: 968
27. What percentage of the mouse genome codes for olfactory receptor proteins?
a. 0.02%
b. 1%
c. 0.3%
d. 3%
e. 14%
Answer: d
Page: 968
28. Approximately how many genes code for olfactory receptor proteins in mice?
a. 14
b. 120
c. 1,000
d. 10,000
e. An unknown number; this question has never been studied.
Answer: c
Page: 968
29. As a male silkworm moth nears a female that is releasing bombykol,

a. the female starts to release more bombykol.
b. the action potentials in the antennal nerve increase.
c. many bombykol-sensitive hairs are stimulated per second.
d. a larger number of the bombykol-sensitive hairs undergo adaptation.
e. the receptor potential in bombykol-sensitive hairs is reduced.
Answer: b
Page: 968
30. Pheromones are chemical signals that can signal from _______ to _______.
a. one neuron; another
b. the peripheral nervous; the central nervous system
c. prey; predator
d. parasite; host
e. female; male within a species
Answer: e
Page: 968
31. The chemosensory hairs with which male moths detect a female’s pheromones are
located
a. near the mouthparts.
b. at the base of the wings.
c. on the tip of the proboscis.
d. on the antennae.
e. on the feet.
Answer: d
Page: 968
32. A male silkworm moth locates a female at a distance by
a. flying toward a chemical signal.
b. flying toward a sound signal.
c. flying toward anything shaped like a female moth.
d. emitting a sound as the female approaches.
e. emitting a chemical as the female approaches.
Answer: a
Page: 968
33. Compared to humans, dogs have a much more acute sense of smell due to the
a. larger amount of mucus in their noses.
b. larger surface area of their nasal epithelia.
c. greater density of their olfactory nerve endings.
d. larger number of capillaries in their noses.
e. typical canine body temperature.
Answer: c
Page: 968
34. Which of the following events is triggered by the binding of an odorant molecule to a
receptor protein?
a. Opening of sodium channels
b. Increase of second messenger in cytoplasm of sensory cell
c. Activation of G protein
d. Depolarization of sensory cell
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Page: 968–969
35. When a female sable antelope smells the urine of another female, a sample of nasal
fluid is drawn over chemoreceptors of the _______, which is a structure located on the
septum dividing the two nostrils.
a. gustatory nucleus
b. fovea
c. vomeronasal organ
d. organ of Corti
e. loop of Henle
Answer: c
Page: 969
36. The greatest intensity of perceived smell comes from the

a. enzyme that binds with the most odorant molecules.
b. odorant that binds to the most receptors.
c. greatest variety of odorant molecules.
d. greatest threshold of depolarization.
e. greatest number of odorant molecules entering the cell.
Answer: b
Page: 969
37. Which of the following statements about gustation is false?

a. Taste receptors may be either ionotropic or metabotropic.
b. All stimulated taste sensory neurons respond by generating an action potential.
c. Microvilli increase the surface area of taste sensory cells.
d. Individual taste buds are replaced every few months.
e. Taste sensory cells form synapses with dendrites of sensory neurons.
Answer: d
Page: 969–970
38. Action potentials are generated in a mechanoreceptor when

a. ion channels close in response to membrane distortion.
b. ion channels open in response to membrane distortion.
c. receptors bind chemicals in response to pressure.
d. sensitivity of the membrane to neurotransmitters increases.
e. signals from other mechanoreceptors are summated.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 46.3 How Do Sensory Systems Detect Mechanical Forces?
Page: 970
39. Which of the following statements about mechano-receptors is false?

a. Mechanoreceptors transduce mechanical forces into changes in receptor potential.
b. If a mechanoreceptor is subject to increased distortion, more ion channels within its
membrane open.
c. Most mechanoreceptors are metabotropic sensory receptors.
d. If the receptor potential of a mechanoreceptor rises above a threshold, an action
potential is propagated.
e. Stimulus strength determines the rate of generated action potentials.
Answer: c
Page: 970–975
40. Meissner’s corpuscles

a. adapt very slowly.
b. are present uniformly on skin surfaces.
c. sense pressure.
d. have concentric layers of connective tissue.
e. sense light touch.
Answer: e
Page: 971
41. Which of the following most accurately describes the Pacinian corpuscle?
a. It adapts slowly and provides information about vibrating stimuli of low frequency.
b. It responds to extended, steady pressure.
c. It adapts rapidly and provides information about vibrating stimuli of high frequency.
d. It has long, extensive dendritic processes.
e. It is extremely sensitive to light touch.
Answer: c
Page: 971
42. Which of the following receptors are located deep in the skin and are adapted
specifically for sensing pressure?
a. Meissner’s corpuscles
b. Pacinian corpuscles
c. Expanded-tip tactile receptors
d. Neuron-wrapped hair follicles
e. Bare nerve endings
Answer: b
Page: 971
43. The Golgi tendon organ

a. causes muscles to relax and protects against tearing.
b. senses light touch.
c. increases muscle contraction.
d. is found in high densities on lips and fingertips.
e. provides steady-state information about pressure.
Answer: a
Page: 972
44. The auditory function of the middle ear is to convert _______ pressure waves into
_______.
a. air; fluid pressure waves
b. fluid; air pressure waves
c. air; nerve impulses
d. fluid; nerve impulses
e. air; hair cell movements
Answer: a
Page: 972–973
45. Hair cells are associated with all of the following sensory systems except the
a. Golgi tendon organ.
b. lateral line.
c. cochlea.
d. vestibular apparatus.
e. semicircular canals.
Answer: a
Page: 972–975
46. Hair cells in the ear that give auditory information are concentrated in the
a. oval window.
b. tympanic membrane.
c. organ of Corti.
d. semicircular canals.
e. vestibular apparatus.
Answer: c
Page: 973
47. Which of the following structures of the mammalian auditory system is responsible
for transmitting signals between flexible membranes?
a. Organ of Corti
b. Ear ossicles
c. Oval window
d. Cochlea
e. Round window
Answer: b
Page: 973
48. Which of the following statements about the auditory functioning of the cochlea is
false?
a. The flexing of the round window follows the flexing of the oval window in a delayed
fashion.
b. The hair cells on the organ of Corti move against the rigid tectorial membrane.
c. The intensity of the sound determines how many hair cells will be stimulated.
d. The frequency of the sound determines which hair cells will be stimulated.
e. Lower frequency sounds result in the stimulation of hair cells closer to the round
window.
Answer: e
Page: 973
49. Which of the following structures of the mammalian auditory system is involved in
transduction of pressure changes into action potentials?
a. Tympanic membrane
b. Ear ossicles
c. Oval window
d. Organ of Corti
e. Basilar membrane
Answer: d
Page: 973
50. What is the physiological basis for the auditory system’s ability to distinguish
different sound frequencies?
a. The three bones of the middle ear respond differentially.
b. The loops of the semicircular canals respond differentially.
c. The oval window and round window respond differentially.
d. Different sections of the basilar membrane respond differentially.
e. Individual hair cells have different peak frequency responses.
Answer: d
Page: 973–974
51. When the stereocilia of hair cells are bent, the membranes of the hair cells
a. are depolarized.
b. are hyperpolarized.
c. are either depolarized or hyperpolarized.
d. generate action potentials.
e. contract their stereocilia.
Answer: c
Page: 974
52. Conduction deafness is caused by loss of function of

a. the inner ear.
b. the eustachian tube.
c. the tympanic membrane and the middle ear ossicles.
d. hair cells in the organ of Corti.
e. the cochlea.
Answer: c
Page: 974
53. Which of the following sensory structures provides mammals with information about
the position and orientation of the head?
a. Eustachian tube
b. Cochlea
c. Semicircular canal
d. Lateral line
e. Tympanic membrane
Answer: c
Page: 975
54. Stereocilia in hair cells in the canals of the fish lateral line
a. respond to disturbances in the water around the fish.
b. are moved individually by pressure.
c. are immobilized within a cupula.
d. bend only after electrical stimulation.
e. bend under the influence of gravity.
Answer: a
Page: 975–976
55. Which of the following statements about the lateral line system is true?
a. The cupulae of the lateral line system each contain several hair cells.
b. The lateral line system allows the fish to sense the presence of other fish.
c. The lateral line system responds to pressure waves in the surrounding water.
d. The canal of the lateral line system has numerous openings to the external
environment.
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Page: 975–976
56. The molecular mechanism by which light is absorbed into visual systems is
a. a change of shape in the opsin protein.
b. depolarization of the rhodopsin molecule.
c. isomerization of the retinal molecule.
d. oxidation of the rhodopsin molecule.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 46.4 How Do Sensory Systems Detect Light?
Page: 976
57. Which of the following statements about rhodopsin is false?

a. Rhodopsin consists of a protein and a light-absorbing molecule.
b. When 11-cis-retinal absorbs light, it becomes all-trans-retinal.
c. In vertebrate eyes, the retinal and the opsin never separate from each other.
d. Rhodopsin is a transmembrane protein.
e. All animals that can sense light do so using rhodopsin.
Answer: c
Page: 976
58. Which of the following statements about the functioning of a rod cell is false?
a. Rhodopsin is located in the stack of disks that is farthest from the light source.
b. A rod cell is a modified neuron.
c. The resting potential of a rod cell in the dark is less negative than a typical neuron.
d. The membrane potential of a rod cell exposed to light becomes more positive.
e. The plasma membrane of a rod cell is fairly permeable to Na+ ions.
Answer: d
Page: 976–977
59. Which of the following statements about the molecular events of photoreception is
false?
a. A single photon can excite a rhodopsin molecule.
b. In a well-lit setting, most of the sodium channels of a rod cell are open.
c. cGMP keeps the sodium channels open.
d. Activated phosphodiesterase (PDE) catalyzes the reaction hydrolyzing cGMP into
GMP.
e. Activated transducin activates PDE.
Answer: b
Page: 976–978
60. Which of the following is a difference between rods and cones?

a. Cones are more sensitive at low light intensity.
b. Rods are responsible for color vision.
c. There are more cones than rods in the human retina.
d. Strictly nocturnal animals have more cones than rods.
e. In the fovea, the density of cones is greater than the density of rods.
Answer: e
Page: 976–980
61. When an individual rod cell is stimulated with light, its membrane potential
a. becomes more negative.
b. becomes more positive.
c. becomes more positive than that of other neurons.
d. begins to generate action potentials.
e. begins to reduce membrane polarization.
Answer: a
Page: 977
62. The activation of a rhodopsin molecule sets off a chain reaction that leads to the
a. opening of a sodium channel.
b. closing of a large number of sodium channels.
c. formation of an activated phosphodiesterase molecule.
d. activation of a large number of transducin molecules.
e. activation of other rhodopsin molecules.
Answer: b
Page: 978
63. If a flatworm is positioned relative to a stationary light source such that more light-
sensitive cells are stimulated in its right than in its left eye cup, the planarian will
a. turn to the left.
b. turn to the right.
c. make a complete clockwise circle.
d. make a complete counterclockwise circle.
e. stop moving.
Answer: a
Page: 978
64. Arthropods have evolved compound eyes consisting of large numbers of

a. retinas.
b. cones.
c. eye cups.
d. ommatidia.
e. pupils.
Answer: d
Page: 978
65. Which of the following statements about the compound eyes of arthropods is false?
a. Ommatidia are the optical units of compound eyes.
b. The number of ommatidia per eye can vary greatly in different species.
c. The eyes of cephalopods are similar to the compound eyes of arthropods.
d. The compound eye communicates a relatively crude image to the central nervous
system.
e. Each ommatidium has a lens structure that directs light onto photoreceptors.
Answer: c
Page: 978
66. The amount of light entering the eye is decreased when the
a. distance between the lens and retina is decreased.
b. distance between the lens and retina is increased.
c. iris relaxes.
d. iris constricts.
e. shape of the lens changes.
Answer: d
Page: 979
67. Which of the following does not affect the focus of an image on the retina?
a. The shape of the lens
b. The shape of the retina
c. The ligaments suspending the lens
d. The ciliary muscles
e. The elasticity of the lens
Answer: b
Page: 979
68. Which of the following statements about vertebrate vision is false?

a. Visual acuity varies according to the density of photoreceptors in the retina.
b. Some vertebrates have two foveas per eye.
c. A blind spot is always located where the optic nerve leaves the eye.
d. Unlike a camera, the vertebrate eye does not project inverted images on the retina.
e. Two major types of photoreceptor cells are found in the retina.
Answer: d
Page: 979
69. Which of the following statements about accommodation is false?

a. Accommodation is the process by which objects from different portions of the visual
field are focused on the retina.
b. Vertebrates such as fish and reptiles accommodate by moving the lens relative to the
retina.
c. The suspensory ligaments keep the lens flattened.
d. When a person attempts to focus on a distant object, the ciliary muscles contract.
e. The ciliary muscles change the shape of the eye by counteracting the action of the
suspensory ligaments.
Answer: d
Page: 979–980
70. Which of the following statements about the functioning of the vertebrate eye is
false?
a. The cornea is transparent so that it can transmit light.
b. The size of the pupil varies with light levels.
c. The iris is under control of the autonomic nervous system.
d. The lens focuses the image on the retina.
e. The fovea is the part of the retina with the lowest density of photoreceptors.
Answer: e
Page: 979–980
71. The blind spot in the eye is caused by

a. an unusually high density of rod cells.
b. an unusually high density of cone cells.
c. the focal spot of incoming light.
d. a lack of photoreceptors where the optic nerve leaves the eye.
e. saturated photoreceptors.
Answer: d
Page: 980
72. Which of the following statements about the vertebrate retina is false?
a. There are more rods than cones in the retinas of humans.
b. There is a higher proportion of cones than rods in the foveas of humans.
c. Cones give us our highest visual acuity.
d. Our peripheral vision involves more rod cells than cone cells.
e. Some entirely nocturnal animals have only cones in their retinas.
Answer: e
Page: 980
73. Which of the following cell layers of the retina is responsible for producing action
potentials that are sent to the brain?
a. Horizontal
b. Pigmented
c. Bipolar
d. Amacrine
e. Ganglion
Answer: e
Page: 981
74. Which of the following statements about color vision is false?

a. There are three different types of cone cells in the human retina.
b. The absorption spectra of cone cells differ because of molecular differences in the
retinal molecules.
c. Rods do not contribute to color vision.
d. The different rhodopsins in the human retina differ according to the range of
wavelengths of light they absorb best.
e. Nocturnal animals often have poor color vision.
Answer: b
Page: 981
75. Which of the following cell layers occurs farthest back in the retina?
a. Horizontal
b. Photoreceptors
c. Bipolar
d. Amacrine
e. Ganglion
Answer: b
Page: 981
Fill in the Blank
1. The structure that allows snakes to detect infrared wavelengths is called the _______.
Answer: pit organ
Page: 964
2. The phenomenon of emitting sounds and creating images from reflections of those
sounds is called _______.
Answer: echolocation
Page: 965
3. A change in the resting membrane potential of a sensory cell in response to a stimulus

is called a(n) _______ potential.
Answer: receptor
Page: 966
4. The ability of many sensory cells to ignore background or unchanging conditions while
remaining sensitive to changes or new information is called _______.
Answer: adaptation
Page: 967
5. _______ arriving in the visual cortex are interpreted as light; in the auditory cortex as
sound; and in the olfactory cortex as smell.
Answer: Action potentials
Page: 967
6. _______ are chemical signals used by individuals to communicate with other

individuals of their species.
Answer: Pheromones
Page: 968
7. The snake’s forked tongue fits into cavities in the roof of its mouth that are richly
endowed with olfactory sensors. Thus the snake uses its tongue to _______ its
environment.
Answer: smell
Page: 969
8. The _______ in mammals is located on the septum dividing the two nostrils and
functions in detecting pheromones.
Answer: vomeronasal organ
Page: 969
9. Many animals can focus sounds by moving their ear _______ toward the sound.
Answer: pinnae
Page: 972
10. Hair cells have a set of projections called _______ that open _______ when they
bend.
Answer: stereocilia; ion channels
Page: 973
11. The three tiny bones of the middle ear transmit vibrations from the _______ to the
oval window.
Answer: tympanic membrane
Page: 973
12. The inner ear is a long, coiled structure called the _______.
Answer: cochlea
Page: 973
13. A common cause of _______ is cumulative and permanent damage to the hair cells of
the organ of Corti.
Answer: nerve deafness (or deafness)
Page: 974
14. Fish can detect pressure waves in water through their _______ sensory system.
Answer: lateral line
Page: 975
15. The molecule _______ is the basis for photosensitivity.

Answer: rhodopsin
Page: 976
16. A dense layer of photoreceptor cells at the back of the vertebrate eye forms the
_______.
Answer: retina
Page: 979
17. Besides vertebrates, the group of animals that has eyes that form images like cameras
is the _______ group.
Answer: cephalopod mollusk
Page: 979
18. Mammals can alter the shape of the lens by contracting the _______.
Answer: ciliary muscles
Page: 980
19. The most photosensitive area of the retina is the _______.

Answer: fovea
Page: 980
20. Just before they are transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve, visual signals are
processed by _______.
Answer: ganglion cells
Page: 981
Diagram
1. Refer to the diagram below of the ear. Which of the following statements about the
diagram is false?
a. Stereocilia embedded in cupulae are found in structure 1.

b. Sound waves in air are converted into fluid waves when the stapes move against the
structure covering the opening at position 4.
c. The position and orientation of the head are sensed by structure 1.
d. Otoliths are found on top of a gelatinous substance in the structure indicated by 2.
e. Damage to structure 5 can cause deafness.
Answer: b
Page: 972–975
2. Refer to the diagram below of the cochlea. Which of the following statements about
the diagram is true?
a. If structure 1 vibrates slowly, the displacement pressure is dissipated by outward

bulging of structure 4.
b. If structure 1 vibrates rapidly, structure 5 flexes.
c. The more rapid the vibrations of structure 1, the greater the amplitude of flexion of
structure 5 at position X.
d. High-pitch sound waves are detected at position Z.
e. The organ of Corti is part of structure 5.
Answer: d
Page: 973
3. Refer to the graph below, showing the response of rod cells to flashes of light. Which
of the following statements about the experiment depicted in the graph is true?
a. It demonstrates that the membrane potential of rod cells is hyperpolarized in the dark.
b. It demonstrates that the membrane potential of rod cells is depolarized by light.
c. The stimulus that produces tracing 1 causes the rod cell to release more
neurotransmitter than the stimulus that produces tracing 3.
d. The membrane potential depicted in tracing 3 shows the response to dim light.
Answer: d
Page: 977
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
4. Refer to the diagram below of the eye. Which of the following incorrectly matches a
labeled structure with the function it performs?
a. Structure 1 – Controls the amount of light reaching photoreceptor cells
b. Structure 2 – Contracts to moves lens closer to or farther away from retina to focus
image
c. Structure 3 – Area where density of cones is highest
d. Structure 4 – Area of the blind spot
e. Structure 5 – Allows the eye to accommodate
Answer: b
Page: 979–980
5. Refer to the graph below. According to the information presented in the graph, which
of the following statements is false?
a. The retinal group of the rhodopsin indicated by absorption spectrum 2 is different from
the retinal group of the rhodopsin indicated by absorption spectrum 4.
b. The absorption spectrum indicated by curve 2 is observed in visual pigments in rod
cells.
c. The absorption spectrum indicated by curve 3 is observed in visual pigments in cone
cells.
d. The absorption spectrum indicated by curve 4 is from a visual pigment that detects red
light.
e. The opsin molecules that give rise to the four curves are all different.
Answer: a
Page: 980–981
STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

(By Betty McGuire)
Knowledge and Synthesis
1. An electrode is inserted into a chemosensory nerve leading away from a taste bud in
the mouth of a dog. A mild acid solution is then flushed continuously over the sensors
associated with this nerve. Initially, the nerve responds to this stimulation, but over time
it ceases to carry action potentials. Which of the following processes would best explain
this observation?
a. Translocation
b. Adaptation of the sensory cells
c. Depletion of neurotransmitter in the sensory nerve
d. Second messenger influences that increase cell membrane potentials
e. Action potentials arriving at the wrong area in the CNS.
Answer: b
Feedback: When a sensor cell is stimulated by an unchanging, steady-state stimulus, it
will adapt to that stimulus. This allows the sensory system to ignore the unchanging
stimulus while still being able to respond to new information.
Page: 967
2. Which of the following statements about sensory cells is false?

a. Mechanoreceptors detect stimuli that distort membranes.
b. Chemoreceptors monitor aspects of the internal environment.
c. Chemoreceptors are involved in smell, taste, and hearing.
d. Photoreceptors exhibit a conformational change when stimulated by light.
e. Most chemoreceptors are metabotropic receptors.
Answer: c
Feedback: Chemoreceptors are involved in smell and taste but not in hearing.
and 46.2 How Do Sensory Systems Detect Chemical Stimuli?
Page: 965–968
3. Silkworm moths use chemosensory signals known as _______ for mate attraction.
a. rhodopsin
b. hormones
c. pheromones
d. G proteins
e. locally acting chemical messengers
Answer: c
Feedback: Pheromones are chemical signals used in communication within a species.
The female silkworm moth releases a pheromone (bombykol) into the environment. The
male uses chemoreceptors to follow the pheromone to the source.
Page: 968
4. Stretch receptors in the aorta and carotid artery sense changes in arterial pressure.
These receptors are therefore considered
a. chemoreceptors.
b. thermoreceptors.
c. electroreceptors.
d. mechanoreceptors.
e. muscle spindles.
Answer: d
Feedback: The stretch receptors of the aorta, which detect changes in blood pressure, are
examples of mechanoreceptors.
Page: 970
5. Which of the following does not employ hair cells as its transducer?
a. Meissner’s corpuscle
b. Lateral line
c. Organ of Corti
d. Semicircular canal
e. Saccule
Answer: a
Feedback: Meissner’s corpuscle of the skin does not use hair cells to sense a stimulus.
The cell membranes of the Meissner’s corpuscle deform in response to light touching of
the skin.
Page: 970–976
6. Which of the following statements about human gustation is false?

a. Taste bud cells are relatively short lived because of the high degree of abrasion they
encounter.
b. Taste buds are confined to the oral cavity.
c. Changes in the membrane potential of the taste bud sensory cells cause them to release
neurotransmitter onto the dendrites of sensory neurons.
d. Humans perceive only three categories of tastes: sweet, sour, and bitter.
e. Most taste buds are found on the papillae of the tongue.
Answer: d
Feedback: Humans can perceive five tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (a
meaty taste). The combination of taste and smell provides the complex subtle flavors of
the food we eat.
Page: 969–970
7. Which of the following statements about the photosensitive molecule rhodopsin is

false?
a. Opsin is converted from the 11-cis to the all-trans form upon absorbing a photon of
light.
b. The retinal is the light-absorbing group.
c. Photoexcited rhodopsin triggers a cascade of reactions that ultimately alters the
membrane potential of a photoreceptor cell.
d. Opsin is a protein; retinal is not a protein.
e. 11-cis-retinal is covalently bonded to opsin.
Answer: a
Feedback: Rhodopsin contains two groups: the protein opsin and the light-sensitive
group retinal. Retinal, not opsin, is converted from the 11-cis to the all-trans form upon
absorbing a photon of light. Opsin does change conformation in response to a change in
the rhodopsin to signal the detection of light.
Page: 976
8. In the human visual system, _______ send information directly to the brain.
a. amacrine cells
b. bipolar cells
c. ganglion cells
d. rods and cones
e. horizontal cells
Answer: c
Feedback: The ganglion cells transmit information from the bipolar cells to the brain.
The axons of the ganglion cells connect with the optic nerve.
Page: 980–981
9. Through which of the following cell layers must a photon of light pass before striking
a cone cell in the eye of a human?
a. Amacrine
b. Bipolar
c. Ganglion
d. Horizontal
e. All of the above
Answer: e
Feedback: The photoreceptive cells are located at the back of the retina. Light must pass
through a layer of ganglion cells, a layer of amacrine and bipolar cells, and a horizontal
cell layer.
Page: 980–981
10. Which of the following animals changes the shape of its lens to focus?
a. Fishes
b. Reptiles
c. Amphibians
d. Mammals
e. All of the above
Answer: d
Feedback: Mammals (and birds) change the shape of their lens to focus. Fishes,
amphibians, and reptiles move their lens closer to or farther from their retinas to focus.
Page: 979–980
11. Which of the following statements about sensory receptor proteins is false?
a. Ionotropic receptor proteins are either ion channels themselves or they directly
influence the opening of ion channels.
b. Photoreceptors are ionotropic.
c. Mechanoreceptors are ionotropic.
d. Thermoreceptors are ionotropic.
e. Metabotropic receptors influence ion channels indirectly through second messengers.
Answer: b
Feedback: Photoreceptors are metabotropic because they influence ion channels
indirectly, through G proteins and second messengers.
Page: 965–966
12. Which of the following structures is not found in the inner ear?
a. Reissner’s membrane
b. Tectorial membrane
c. Tympanic membrane
d. Basilar membrane
e. Semicircular canal
Answer: c
Feedback: Although the tympanic membrane is found in the human ear, it is not found in
the inner ear. The tympanic membrane is the membrane that transmits sounds from the
auditory canal to the middle ear.
Page: 972–973
13. Which of the following statements about receptor potentials is false?
a. They are changes in the resting membrane potential of a sensory cell in response to a
stimulus.
b. The receptor potential spreads from the cell body of a sensory cell to the axon hillock,
where action potentials are generated.
c. They must be converted to action potentials to travel long distances.
d. A receptor potential always prompts the release of a neurotransmitter that induces an
associated neuron to generate an action potential.
e. They are graded membrane potentials.
Answer: d
Feedback: The receptor potential does not always prompt the release of a
neurotransmitter to induce an associated neuron to generate an action potential.
Sometimes the receptor potential generates action potentials within the sensory cell itself.
Page: 965–966
14. Which of the following statements about the detection of chemical stimuli is false?
a. Snakes use their tongues to smell.
b. Many mammals have a vomeronasal organ to detect pheromones.
c. A greater frequency of action potentials is associated with perception of a more intense
smell.
d. Taste buds are confined to the oral cavity in aquatic animals.
e. Chemoreceptors monitor aspects of the internal environment.
Answer: d
Feedback: Taste buds are confined to the oral cavity in terrestrial animals. However,
some aquatic animals, such as fish, have taste buds in their skin.
Page: 967–970
15. Which of the following statements about sensory systems is false?

a. Rattlesnakes have pit organs to detect infrared wavelengths.
b. Cephalopod mollusks and vertebrates independently evolved image-forming eyes.
c. Nocturnal animals have a high percentage of cones in their retinas, whereas diurnal
animals have a high percentage of rods.
d. Fish detect water movements with their lateral lines.
e. Bats have small muscles in their ears that contract to dampen sounds when they are
emitting calls.
Answer: c
Feedback: Nocturnal animals have a high percentage of rods in their retinas, and diurnal
animals have a high percentage of cones.
Page: 981
Application
1. You had a cold for a number of weeks, during which time your sense of smell was
diminished. What was the cause of your loss of smell?
Answer: Your sense of smell depends on olfactory cilia that line the surface of the nasal
epithelium. The cilia’s receptors bind with odorant molecules, triggering an action
potential that is sent to the olfactory bulb of the brain. Usually this epithelium is covered
with a thin layer of protective mucus. However, when you have a cold, the production of
mucus increases and mucus covers the epithelium and the olfactory cilia, making it more
difficult for odorant molecules to reach the cilia. Thus your sense of smell is decreased.
Page: 968–969
2. After a loud rock concert your hearing appears to be dampened. What portion of your
ear been altered during the concert, resulting in a dampening of your hearing?
Answer: Sounds that are too loud will eventually damage the hair cells of the organ of
Corti, resulting in nerve deafness. This damage to the hair cells is cumulative and
permanent.
Page: 974
3. You have just given a presentation in your biology class that had many elaborate red-
and green-colored slides. Afterward, a male friend tells you that he could not see any of
the differences you were reporting. Why could your friend not see the differences?
Answer: Your friend has red-green color blindness. The cones in our eyes allow us to see
color. We have cones for red, green, and blue. Your friend either has red and green cones
that do not function properly, or lacks them altogether.
Page: 981
4. Gray squirrels are diurnal (active during the day) and southern flying squirrels are
nocturnal (active at night). How would you expect their retinas to differ?
Answer: Cones are responsible for color vision. Rods are responsible for highly sensitive
black-and-white vision. We would expect diurnal species (such as the gray squirrel) to
have mostly cones in their retinas, and nocturnal species (such as the flying squirrel) to
have mostly rods.
Page: 981
5. An infection that causes vertigo (dizziness) would be located in which sensory organ
and in which particular part of the organ?
Answer: Vertigo is caused by infection in the ear, specifically the inner ear, which
contains the organs of equilibrium (in addition to the cochlea).
Page: 975
TEXTBOOK SELF-QUIZ
1. Which statement about sensory systems is not true?
a. Sensory transduction involves the conversion (direct or indirect) of a physical or
chemical stimulus into changes in membrane potentials.
b. In general, a stimulus causes a change in the flow of ions across the plasma membrane
of a sensory receptor cell.
c. The term “adaptation” refers to the process by which a sensory system becomes
insensitive to a continuing source of stimulation.
d. The more intense a stimulus, the greater the magnitude of each action potential fired by
a sensory neuron.
e. Sensory adaptation plays a role in the ability of organisms to discriminate between
important and unimportant information.
Answer: d
2. The female silkworm moth releases a chemical called bombykol from a gland at the tip
of her abdomen. Bombykol is
a. a sex hormone.
b. detected by the male only when present in large quantities.
c. not species-specific.
d. detected by hairs on the antennae of male silkworm moths.
e. a chemical basic to the taste process in arthropods.
Answer: d
3. Which statement about olfaction is not true?

a. In general, mammals depend more on vision than on olfaction as their dominant
sensory modality.
b. Olfactory stimuli are recognized by the interaction between odorant molecules and
receptor proteins on olfactory hairs.
c. The more odorant molecules that bind to receptors, the more action potentials are
generated.
d. The greater the number of action potentials generated by an olfactory receptor, the
greater the intensity of the perceived smell.
e. The perception of different smells results from the activation of different combinations
of olfactory receptors.
Answer: a
4. In general, the touch receptors located close to the surface of both hairy and nonhairy
skin
a. are relatively insensitive to light touch.
b. adapt very quickly to stimuli.
c. are uniformly distributed throughout the surface of the body.
d. are called Pacinian corpuscles.
e. adapt slowly and provide almost continuous information.
Answer: e
5. The membrane that is most directly responsible for the ability to discriminate different
pitches of sound is the
a. round window.
b. oval window.
c. tympanic membrane.
d. tectorial membrane.
e. basilar membrane.
Answer: e
6. Which statement is not true?

a. The transmembrane potential of a rod cell becomes more negative when the rod cell is
exposed to light.
b. A photoreceptor releases the most neurotransmitter when in total darkness.
c. Whereas in vision the intensity of a stimulus is encoded by the degree of
hyperpolarization of photoreceptors, in hearing the intensity of a stimulus is encoded by
changes in firing rates of sensory neurons.
d. Stiffening of the ossicles in the middle ear can lead to deafness.
e. The interaction among hammer (malleus), anvil (incus), and stirrup (stapes) conducts
sound waves across the fluid-filled middle ear.
Answer: e
7. In humans, the region of the retina where the central part of the visual field falls is the
a. central ganglion cell.
b. fovea.
c. optic nerve.
d. cornea.
e. pupil.
Answer: b
8. Which of the following statements about information flow in the vertebrate visual
system is true?
a. Action potentials in bipolar cells cause the release of neurotransmitter onto ganglion
cells.
b. Amacrine cells integrate the activity of neighboring rod and cone cells.
c. When photons of light enter they eye, the first cells in the retina they encounter are
ganglion cells.
d. The highest density of rod cells in the human retina is centrally located in the fovea,
resulting in high acuity dim light vision.
e. Pigmented epithelial cells at the back of the retina provide information about the level
of ambient light for contrast adjustments.
Answer: c
9. Which statement about the cone cells in a human eye is not true?
a. They are responsible for our sharpest vision.
b. They are responsible for color vision.
c. They are more sensitive to light than rods are.
d. They are fewer in number than rods.
e. They exist in high numbers at the fovea.
Answer: c
10. The color in color vision results from the

a. ability of each cone cell to absorb all wavelengths of light equally.
b. lens of the eye acting like a prism and separating the different wavelengths of light.
c. differential absorption of wavelengths of light by different kinds of rod cells.
d. three different isomers of opsin in cone cells.
e. absorption of different wavelengths of light by amacrine and horizontal cells.
Answer: d
BIOPORTAL DIAGNOSTIC QUIZ (Personalized Study Plan Quiz)

(By Nancy Boury)
1. Sensory transduction begins with a membrane receptor protein on sensory receptor

cells that can detect all of the following except
a. heat.
b. magnetic waves.
c. mechanical force.
d. light.
e. chemicals.
Answer: b
Page: 965
2. Which proteins signal ion channels in sensory cells to open or close, generating
receptor potentials?
a. Gated ion channels
b. Neurotransmitter receptors
c. Direct electrical depolarization
d. Membrane receptor proteins
e. Axons
Answer: d
Page: 966
3. Sensory transduction involves

a. changes in membrane potential.
b. converting mechanical stimuli into emotional responses.
c. magnetic frequency stimulation.
d. Both a and c
e. All of the above
Answer: a
Page: 966
4. Adaptation is best described as

a. a gradually diminished response to maintained or repeated stimulation.
b. part of natural selection
c. allowing animals to find a niche habitat.
d. a gradually increased response to maintained or repeated stimulation.
e. All of the above
Answer: a
Page: 967
5. You discover a set of cells that transmits information from skin tissue to the CNS at the
spinal cord. Assuming these cells receive internal and external information and deliver it
to the CNS, what type of cells are they?
a. Motor cells
b. Action cells
c. Sensory cells
d. Glial cells
e. Chemoreceptors
Answer: c
Page: 967
6. An odorant molecule receptor is an example of a(n)

a. mechanoreceptor.
b. chemoreceptor.
c. photoreceptor.
d. electroreceptor.
e. stretch receptor.
Answer: b
Page: 968
7. Taste buds are structures that are responsible for

a. gustation.
b. vomeronasal responses.
c. vision.
d. hearing.
e. touch.
Answer: a
Page: 969
8. Mammals use vomeronasal organs to sense

a. pheromones.
b. heat.
c. smells.
d. taste.
e. All of the above
Answer: a
Page: 969
9. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is often added to food as a flavor enhancer. It was

recently discovered that MSG triggers the _______ taste.
a. sweet
b. sour
c. bitter
d. umami
e. salty
Answer: d
Page: 970
10. You don’t normally focus on the feeling of your clothes against your skin, because
a. touch receptors display adaptation.
b. your brain can’t process multiple stimuli at once.
c. you have inhibitory chemoreceptors on your skin.
d. vomeronasal organs prevent diffuse feeling.
e. rhodopsin molecules display adaptation.
Answer: a
Page: 971
11. _______ in muscles, tendons, and ligaments inform the CNS of the position of and
loads on parts of the body.
a. Stretch receptors
b. Motoreceptors
c. Chemoreceptors
d. Photoreceptors
e. Mechanoreceptors
Answer: e
Page: 971
12. The organ of Corti is found within the inner ear and
a. sits atop of the basilar membrane.
b. transduces pressure waves into action potentials.
c. contains hair cells with stereocilia.
d. All of the above
Answer: d
Page: 972
13. Which of the following statements about the mammalian auditory system is false?
a. In mammalian auditory systems, ear pinnae collect and direct sound waves to the
tympanic membrane.
b. The tympanic membrane vibrates in response to sound waves.
c. The movements of the tympanic membrane are amplified through a chain of ossicles
that conduct the vibrations to the oval window.
d. Movements of the oval window create pressure waves in the fluid-filled cochlea.
e. The basilar membrane running down the center of the cochlea responds to sound waves
by chemoreceptors similar to those found in taste buds.
Answer: e
Page: 973
14. The lateral line system

a. provides information about a fish’s movements.
b. is found in only in striped fish.
c. provides information about the depth a fish is swimming.
d. has mechanoreceptors that detect water flow.
e. Both a and d
Answer: e
Page: 975–976
15. You discover a new species of flatworm that you think may be a previously
undiscovered species of planarian. One of the interesting things about planarians is their
eyespots, which are able to absorb and detect photos of light. Which molecule would you
look for that would indicate this new flatworm has eyespots?
a. Trypsin
b. Pheromones
c. G protein
d. Opsin
e. Rhodopsin
Answer: e
Page: 976
Bloom’s Category: 4. Analyzing
16. Nocturnal vertebrate animals need to see in very low levels of light. It would be
advantageous for these animals to have more _______ than diurnal animals.
a. rod cells
b. ommatidia and hair cells
c. hair cells and stretch receptors
d. glial cells and taste buds
e. ganglion cells and cone cells
Answer: a
Page: 977–978
17. A photoexcited molecule of rhodopsin

a. activates a G protein.
b. activates transducin.
c. leads to a chain of events which converts cyclic GMP (cGMP) to GMP.
d. Both a and b
e. a, b, and c.
Answer: e
Page: 978
18. Image-forming, camera-like eyes are found in

a. flatworms.
b. cephalopods.
c. arthropods.
d. insects.
e. roundworms.
Answer: b
Page: 979
19. Hawks are flying predators that need extreme visual acuity. They catch most of their
prey during the day, so their eyes have more _______ than human eyes.
a. rods
b. white-reflective areas
c. corneal lenses
d. cones
e. retinal nerves.
Answer: d
Page: 980
20. A person with impaired ciliary muscles would have trouble

a. hearing low pitches.
b. focusing on both near and far images.
c. seeing subtle changes in color.
d. tasting bitter tastes.
Answer: b
Page: 980

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Chapter 46: Sensory Systems

TEST FILE QUESTIONS

2. The advantage of communicating by means of extremely low-frequency sound waves

5. Which of the following statements regarding the stimulation of receptor proteins

6. Sensory cells transduce physical or chemical stimuli

8. Receptor potentials produce action potentials in two ways: by generating action

9. Which of the following are ionotropic sensory receptors?

10. Which of the following are not metabotropic sensory receptors?

13. The warmth of the sun on one’s face triggers

14. Which of the following statements about a sensory cell is false?

15. Which of the following are metabotropic sensory receptors?

16. Which of the following are not ionotropic sensory receptors?

17. The smell of baking bread triggers

19. Which of the following statements about receptor potentials is false?

20. The magnitude of a receptor potential

23. Which of the following statements about sensory cells is false?

25. Which of the following are not mechanoreceptors?

26. One of the best-studied examples of chemosensory receptors is Bombyx mori, a

29. As a male silkworm moth nears a female that is releasing bombykol,

36. The greatest intensity of perceived smell comes from the

37. Which of the following statements about gustation is false?

38. Action potentials are generated in a mechanoreceptor when

39. Which of the following statements about mechano-receptors is false?

40. Meissner’s corpuscles

43. The Golgi tendon organ

52. Conduction deafness is caused by loss of function of

57. Which of the following statements about rhodopsin is false?

60. Which of the following is a difference between rods and cones?

64. Arthropods have evolved compound eyes consisting of large numbers of

68. Which of the following statements about vertebrate vision is false?

69. Which of the following statements about accommodation is false?

71. The blind spot in the eye is caused by

74. Which of the following statements about color vision is false?

Fill in the Blank

3. A change in the resting membrane potential of a sensory cell in response to a stimulus

6. _______ are chemical signals used by individuals to communicate with other

15. The molecule _______ is the basis for photosensitivity.

19. The most photosensitive area of the retina is the _______.

a. Stereocilia embedded in cupulae are found in structure 1.

a. If structure 1 vibrates slowly, the displacement pressure is dissipated by outward

STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

Knowledge and Synthesis

2. Which of the following statements about sensory cells is false?

6. Which of the following statements about human gustation is false?

7. Which of the following statements about the photosensitive molecule rhodopsin is

15. Which of the following statements about sensory systems is false?

3. Which statement about olfaction is not true?

6. Which statement is not true?

10. The color in color vision results from the

BIOPORTAL DIAGNOSTIC QUIZ (Personalized Study Plan Quiz)

1. Sensory transduction begins with a membrane receptor protein on sensory receptor

3. Sensory transduction involves

4. Adaptation is best described as

6. An odorant molecule receptor is an example of a(n)

7. Taste buds are structures that are responsible for

8. Mammals use vomeronasal organs to sense

9. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is often added to food as a flavor enhancer. It was

14. The lateral line system

17. A photoexcited molecule of rhodopsin

18. Image-forming, camera-like eyes are found in

20. A person with impaired ciliary muscles would have trouble

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