Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
Chapter 44
Sensory Systems
Multiple Choice Questions
1. All sensory input arrives at the central nervous system in the same form, as ____________
propagated by afferent neurons. Perception of the type and intensity of a stimulus depends on
which part of the brain the impulse projects to and the firing frequency of the sensory neuron.
2. The simplest sensory receptors are __________ that respond to mechanical distortion,
changes in temperature, or specific chemicals.
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
3. What sensory receptors sense stimuli that arise from within the body?
4. When membrane proteins on an olfactory neuron are stimulated by the binding of a
specific chemical, what is the immediate result?
5. Which includes all of the components that make up the Organ of Corti?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
6. The lateral line system provides ________ with a sense of “distant touch,” enabling these
animals to sense objects that reflect pressure waves and low-frequency vibrations.
7. Pit vipers are the only known vertebrates with an ability to detect a certain type of
stimulus. What can these snakes sense?
8. What are the receptors of sharks that can detect disturbances in electrical fields called?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
9. Which of the following receptors does not trigger depolarization of a sensory neuron?
10. Which correctly represents the sequence of steps involved to convey sensory information
to the CNS?
11. Which of the following stimuli do vertebrates NOT have a specialized receptor for?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
12. Which is NOT a stimulus that the simplest sensory receptors, free nerve endings, will
respond to?
13. Which is NOT a stimulus that exteroceptors can sense?
14. Which is NOT a stimulus that interoceptors can sense?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
15. Which of the following is NOT an example of a mechanoreceptor?
16. Cutaneous receptors are classified as interoceptors. These specialized skin receptors can
respond to which of the following stimuli?
17. What are the receptors called that transmit impulses that are perceived by the brain as
pain?
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18. Which of the following stimuli will NOT activate a nociceptor?
19. What are the sensory structures that enable invertebrates to determine the orientation of
the body with respect to gravity called?
20. Which of the following do humans NOT have taste buds specialized to sense?
Ranking Questions
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21. Rank the sensory receptors in order, from the ability to detect the widest variety of
molecules, to the least variety of molecules (or none).
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Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content
What do you already know about sensory receptors? What other information is related to
the question?
Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
Multiple Choice Questions
22. Which of the following are components of vertebrate gravity receptors?
I-Utricle and saccule chambers of a membranous labyrinth.
II-Hair cells with stereocilia and kinocilium.
III-Hairlike processes embedded with otolith membrane, a gelatinous membrane containing
calcium carbonate crystals.
IV-Peripheral chemoreceptors.
23. Which of the following constitute the vestibular apparatus?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
24. What does the middle ear consist of?
25. Which sequence of events is required for the brain to interpret sound?
I. Vibration of the basilar membrane relative to the tectorial membrane causes cilia on hair
cells to bend and triggers depolarization.
II. Hair cells stimulate the production of action potentials in sensory neurons that project to
the brain.
III. Ganglion cell axons transmit action potentials to the occipital lobe.
26. Which animal became numerous and widespread by using sonar to enable a high level of
activity in the dark?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
27. In the vertebrate eye, what structure is light focused onto?
28. Which is NOT a part of the vertebrate eye?
29. In the vertebrate eye, what structure controls the amount of light that reaches the retina?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
30. What is the photopigment in rod cells called?
31. Which of the following cells are NOT found in the retina?
32. What are the short retinal photoreceptors responsible for color vision called?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
33. Color blindness is caused by heritable mutations in cone photoreceptors. How many cone
types does the retina of a colorblind individual typically contain?
34. What sequence of events leads to the perception of a visual scene?
I. In response to light, retinal dissociates from rod and cone photopigments, hyperpolarizing
the photoreceptor cells and leading to activation of bipolar neurons.
II. Action potentials are propagated through ganglion cells, whose axons project to the
occipital lobe of the brain.
III. In response to light, rod and cone photoreceptors depolarize, causing increased release of
neurotransmitter and activation of bipolar neurons.
35. What sensory equipment is required for an animal to have binocular vision?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
36. Which of the vertebrates senses is the least well understood?
37. Which is NOT an example of a stimulus sensed by an interoceptor?
38. Choose the receptor that is NOT correctly matched with its function.
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
39. Which of the following statements about the lateral line system is NOT correct?
40. In what order will you encounter the following structures if you examine the human ear
from the outside inward?
41. Which animal is NOT able to use sonar as a form of “lightless vision” to navigate in dark
environments?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
42. Where is the visual image in focus for a nearsighted individual?
43. The human retina is composed of three cell layers. Which represents the correct order of
these layers, starting with the layer that is closest to the iris?
44. Which of the following animals does NOT have electroreceptors?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
45. Each type of cone cell is stimulated by a different color of light. In humans, a colorful
scene is perceived as a combination of signals from three cone types. Which colors
correspond to these three cones?
I-Red
II-Yellow
III-Orange
IV-Blue
V-Green
VI-Purple
46. Which of the following statements about hair cells is NOT true?
47. Which of the following structures is found in a human eye, but NOT in an octopus eye?
Chapter 44 – Sensory Systems
48. Which taste modality does not involve activation of a G-protein coupled receptor?
49. What effect do high frequency sounds tend to have on the ear?
50. The statoliths of a lobster are replaced with iron filings, and a strong magnetic field is
produced at the top of its tank. How will the lobster respond?
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Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
• The role of statoliths.
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content
What do you already know about statoliths? What other information is related to the
question?
Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the
process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a
more desirable result?