MCAT Biology Sensation and Perception Part 2

Question 1

What is the function of the vestibular complex?

Answer 1

The vestibular complex function to detect rotational acceleration

Question 2

The Vestibular complex is made up of ___,___,__,__

Answer 2

Three semicircular canals,
The utricle
The saccule
The ampullae

Question 3

Light is ___ as it passes through the cornea

Answer 3

Refracted

Question 4

The pigmentation of cells here absorbes excess light within the eye

Answer 4

Choroid (contains darkly pigmented cells)

Question 5

___ is the surface upon which light is focused

Answer 5

Retina

Question 6

The role of this part of the eye is to fine-tune the anlge of incoming light, so that beams are perfectly focused upon the retina

Answer 6

lens

Question 7

The curvature of the lens (its refractive power) is vaired by the __

Answer 7

ciliary muscle

Question 8

The retina contains ___ and __ which are responsible for detecting light

Answer 8

Rods and cones

Question 9

The rods and cones located in the retina synapse with nerve cells called__

Answer 9

bipolar cells

Question 10

Bipolar cells synapse with ___ whose axons comprise the optic nerve

Answer 10

Ganglion cells

Question 11

The point on the retina where many axons from ganglion cells converge to form the optic nerve is the __

Answer 11

optic disk

Question 12

Why is the optic disk known as the blind spot?

Answer 12

It contains no photoreceptors

Question 13

In the center of the ___ is the fovea centralis

Answer 13

Macula

Question 14

The fovea centralis contains only___

Answer 14

cones

Question 15

The fovea centralis (focal point) is responsible for __

Answer 15

Extreme visual acuity

Question 16

The special pigment proteins of photoreceptors is termed ___

Answer 16

opsin

Question 17

Night vision is accomplished by the ___

Answer 17

rods which are more sensitive to dim light and motion

Question 18

Rods are more concentrated in the ___

Answer 18

periphery of the retina

Question 19

___ require abundant light and are responsible for color vision and high acuity vision

Answer 19

Cones

Question 20

Cones are more concentrated in the ___

Answer 20

fovea

Question 21

What three colors are specialized cones working with?

Answer 21

Blue absorption green absorption and red absorption

Question 22

Normal vision is termed___

Answer 22

emmetropia

Question 23

Too much curvature of the cornea or lens causes___

Answer 23

light to be bent too much and to be focused in front of the retina

Question 24

Too much refraction at the lens or an abnormally long eyeball results in a focal length that is too short

Answer 24

Myopia

Question 25

Myopia can be corrected by a ___ lens

Answer 25

Concave (diverging) lens

Question 26

What does a concave (diverging) lens do?

Answer 26

Cuases the light rays to diverge slightly before they reach the cornea

Question 27

___ farsightedness results from focusing of light behind the retina

Answer 27

Hyperopia

Question 28

Too little refraction at the lens or an abnormally short eyeball results in a focal length that is too long

Answer 28

Hyperopia (farsightedness)

Question 29

Hyperopia (farsightedness) can be corrected by a

Answer 29

Convex (converging lens)

Question 30

__lens causes light rays to converge before reaching the cornea

Answer 30

Convex( converging)

Question 31

__ is an inability to accomodate (focus)

Answer 31

Presbyopia

Question 32

___ results from loss of flexibility of the lens, which occurs with aging

Answer 32

Presbyopia

Question 33

___ is the term to describe how many aspects of a visual stimulus (such as form, motion, color, and depth) are processed simultaneously instead of in a step-by-step or serial fashion

Answer 33

Parallel processing

Question 34

____explains why a certain area of the brain is activated when looking at a face, a different area is activated when looking at the letters on this page, etc.

Answer 34

Feature detection theory

Question 35

As we age we lose our ability to detect higher-pitched sounds, why tho?

Answer 35

Loud sounds can mechanically harm the hair cells, causing them to die. When this occurs, hair cell cant send sound signals to the brain. Once they die they never regrow

Question 36

The ___ is the minimum noticeable difference between any two sensory stimuli, 50% of the time

Answer 36

JND just noticeable difference or Difference threshold

Question 37

___ dictates that two stimuli must differ by a constant proportion in order for their difference to be perceptible

Answer 37

Weber’s Law

Question 38

A hit, by definition of signal detection theory refers to when

Answer 38

The signal is present and was detected

Question 39

A miss by definition of signal detection theory refers to when__

Answer 39

The signal was present but not detected

Question 40

A false alarm by definition of signal detection theory refers to when___

Answer 40

The signal was not present but the person thought it was

Question 41

A correct rejection by definition of signal detection theory refers to when__

Answer 41

The signal was not present and the person did not think it was

Question 42

The four possible outcomes of signal detection theory are_

Answer 42

• a hit
• a miss
• false alarm
• correct rejection

Question 43

__attempts to predict how and when someone will detect the presence of a given sensory stimulus

Answer 43

Signal detection theory