Bio 436 Lecture 5 Review Questions and
Correct Answers
If someone gets hit hard in the head - why do they sometimes perceive light? ✅A hit to
the head sometimes creates an artifical AP in the cones of the eye, making it like they
see light (according to some dudes quizlet.) abnormally trigger AP dude to law of
specific nerve energies.
transduce ✅change environmental info into Action Potentials
modality ✅form of info (light, sound ect.)
Know the six basic groups of receptors ✅1) Chemoreceptors: sense chemical stimuli
2) Photoreceptors: transduce light
3) Thermoreceptors: respond to temperature changes
4) Mechanoreceptors: respond to deformation of their cell membrane
5) Nocioreceptors: respond to intense stimuli by signaling pain
6) Proprioceptors: signal positional info of body parts
What is an adequate stimulus? ✅The specific stimulus or modality that a receptor is
specialized to respond to
law of specific nerve energies ✅stimulation of sensory fiber causes sensation of
modality= receptors are close together but onl the one which respons to stimulus will
produce AP
What is a generator potential? ✅the excitatory signals that receptors receive
- sensory receptor equivalents to EPSPs
- produced in response to adequate stimulus
REMEMBER: EPSPs are NOT receptors..... but these are!
What is it similar to with respect to a single neuron? ✅It is similar to threshold!! Finally
found a correct answer!
What is a receptive field? ✅Is area of skin whose stimulation results in changes in
firing rate of sensory neuron.
Tonic Receptors ✅respond @ constant rate as long as stimulus is applied (pain)
phasic receptors ✅burst of activity but quickly reduce firing rate to constant stimulation
(adaptation) getting used to a smell
Correct Answers
If someone gets hit hard in the head - why do they sometimes perceive light? ✅A hit to
the head sometimes creates an artifical AP in the cones of the eye, making it like they
see light (according to some dudes quizlet.) abnormally trigger AP dude to law of
specific nerve energies.
transduce ✅change environmental info into Action Potentials
modality ✅form of info (light, sound ect.)
Know the six basic groups of receptors ✅1) Chemoreceptors: sense chemical stimuli
2) Photoreceptors: transduce light
3) Thermoreceptors: respond to temperature changes
4) Mechanoreceptors: respond to deformation of their cell membrane
5) Nocioreceptors: respond to intense stimuli by signaling pain
6) Proprioceptors: signal positional info of body parts
What is an adequate stimulus? ✅The specific stimulus or modality that a receptor is
specialized to respond to
law of specific nerve energies ✅stimulation of sensory fiber causes sensation of
modality= receptors are close together but onl the one which respons to stimulus will
produce AP
What is a generator potential? ✅the excitatory signals that receptors receive
- sensory receptor equivalents to EPSPs
- produced in response to adequate stimulus
REMEMBER: EPSPs are NOT receptors..... but these are!
What is it similar to with respect to a single neuron? ✅It is similar to threshold!! Finally
found a correct answer!
What is a receptive field? ✅Is area of skin whose stimulation results in changes in
firing rate of sensory neuron.
Tonic Receptors ✅respond @ constant rate as long as stimulus is applied (pain)
phasic receptors ✅burst of activity but quickly reduce firing rate to constant stimulation
(adaptation) getting used to a smell
