BSC 116 EXAM 4 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% VERIFIED
central nervous system - ANSWER brain and spinal cord
neurons - ANSWER specialized cells that conduct and store info in the nervous system,
respond to external sensory stimuli
reception - ANSWER sensory cell detects stimulus
transduction - ANSWER conversion of stimulus to receptor potential
receptor potential - ANSWER graded potentials in transduction where the magnitude
varies with intensity of stimulus
transmission - ANSWER if receptor potential initiates action potentials
action potential - ANSWER the nerve impulse that travels through the nervous system
during transmission
perception - ANSWER CNS processing of input from sensory neurons, coded by the
paths their action potentials travel
amplification - ANSWER strengthening of stimulus, adding energy (ie signal
transduction pathways, anatomical modifications)
adaptation - ANSWER become unresponsive to constant stimulation (ie dont feel heart
beating all the time)
chemoreceptors - ANSWER bind molecules, initiates change in membrane potential,
non-specific to measure solute concentration, specific for some (taste, smell,
osmoreceptors) (find mates, recognize territory, navigation, communication, etc.)
mechanoreceptors - ANSWER deformed or moved to sense pressure, stretch, motion,
etc., often ion channels linked to structures that extend out the cell like cilia or dendrites
in association with hair (skin, hearing)
electromagnetic receptors - ANSWER detect light, electricity, magnetism, etc. (eyes to
detect lights, vipers have pits to detect infared heat)
thermoreceptors - ANSWER detect heat and cold, membrane proteins change shape
under different temperatures
,nociceptors - ANSWER detect pain, like extreme pressure, chemicals, etc. (high density
in skin)
gustation - ANSWER taste
tastants - ANSWER the chemicals detected in gustation
olfaction - ANSWER smell
odorants - ANSWER chemicals in the air used for olfaction
perilymph - ANSWER ear fluid
tympanic membrane - ANSWER outer ear, "eardrum" vibrates first to detect sound
cochlea - ANSWER inner ear, receives vibrations third
vestibular canal - ANSWER waves flow down this, causes vibrations that stimulates hair
cells
hair cells - ANSWER release neurotransmitters all the time once the outer pieces (____)
bend because of sound signals
volume - ANSWER the magnitude of the vibrations
pitch - ANSWER frequency: basilar of varying thickness, different parts vibrate in
response to different _____
lateral line system - ANSWER mechanoreceptor system used in fish for detecting
low-frequency vibrations
statocysts - ANSWER many animals have just these to sense gravity
statoliths - ANSWER mobile pieces that move around on the statocysts as the body
moves
utricle - ANSWER horizontal piece on the inner ear that tells the brain which way is up
and detects the body's position
saccule - ANSWER vertical piece on the inner ear that tells the brain which way is up
and detects the body's position
semicircular canals - ANSWER three spatial planes that detect angular momentum
photoreceptors - ANSWER cells that detect light
ocelli - ANSWER simple cup of photoreceptors (planaria)
, single-lens eye - ANSWER functions kind of like a camera (vertebrates, jellies, some
annelids, spiders, some mollusks), single opening with a lens to focus light on a field of
photoreceptors
compound eye - ANSWER composed of many light detectors (insects), each facet has
own lens, responsible for a small part of the visual field
sclera - ANSWER outer layer of eye ball, white connective tissue
choroid - ANSWER middle layer of eye ball, colored
retina - ANSWER inner layer of eye ball, layers of neurons and photoreceptors
iris - ANSWER choroid that controls the diameter of pupil and therefore the amount of
light reaching the retina
cornea - ANSWER transparent area of the sclera
pupil - ANSWER the actual hole for light
lens - ANSWER transparent protein that focuses light by changing shape
rods - ANSWER type of photoreceptor on retina, sensitive to light but not colors
cones - ANSWER type of photoreceptor on retina, distinguishes colors, but not very light
sensitive
fovea - ANSWER center of focus, 150,000 cones/mm2 (back of retina)
100% VERIFIED
central nervous system - ANSWER brain and spinal cord
neurons - ANSWER specialized cells that conduct and store info in the nervous system,
respond to external sensory stimuli
reception - ANSWER sensory cell detects stimulus
transduction - ANSWER conversion of stimulus to receptor potential
receptor potential - ANSWER graded potentials in transduction where the magnitude
varies with intensity of stimulus
transmission - ANSWER if receptor potential initiates action potentials
action potential - ANSWER the nerve impulse that travels through the nervous system
during transmission
perception - ANSWER CNS processing of input from sensory neurons, coded by the
paths their action potentials travel
amplification - ANSWER strengthening of stimulus, adding energy (ie signal
transduction pathways, anatomical modifications)
adaptation - ANSWER become unresponsive to constant stimulation (ie dont feel heart
beating all the time)
chemoreceptors - ANSWER bind molecules, initiates change in membrane potential,
non-specific to measure solute concentration, specific for some (taste, smell,
osmoreceptors) (find mates, recognize territory, navigation, communication, etc.)
mechanoreceptors - ANSWER deformed or moved to sense pressure, stretch, motion,
etc., often ion channels linked to structures that extend out the cell like cilia or dendrites
in association with hair (skin, hearing)
electromagnetic receptors - ANSWER detect light, electricity, magnetism, etc. (eyes to
detect lights, vipers have pits to detect infared heat)
thermoreceptors - ANSWER detect heat and cold, membrane proteins change shape
under different temperatures
,nociceptors - ANSWER detect pain, like extreme pressure, chemicals, etc. (high density
in skin)
gustation - ANSWER taste
tastants - ANSWER the chemicals detected in gustation
olfaction - ANSWER smell
odorants - ANSWER chemicals in the air used for olfaction
perilymph - ANSWER ear fluid
tympanic membrane - ANSWER outer ear, "eardrum" vibrates first to detect sound
cochlea - ANSWER inner ear, receives vibrations third
vestibular canal - ANSWER waves flow down this, causes vibrations that stimulates hair
cells
hair cells - ANSWER release neurotransmitters all the time once the outer pieces (____)
bend because of sound signals
volume - ANSWER the magnitude of the vibrations
pitch - ANSWER frequency: basilar of varying thickness, different parts vibrate in
response to different _____
lateral line system - ANSWER mechanoreceptor system used in fish for detecting
low-frequency vibrations
statocysts - ANSWER many animals have just these to sense gravity
statoliths - ANSWER mobile pieces that move around on the statocysts as the body
moves
utricle - ANSWER horizontal piece on the inner ear that tells the brain which way is up
and detects the body's position
saccule - ANSWER vertical piece on the inner ear that tells the brain which way is up
and detects the body's position
semicircular canals - ANSWER three spatial planes that detect angular momentum
photoreceptors - ANSWER cells that detect light
ocelli - ANSWER simple cup of photoreceptors (planaria)
, single-lens eye - ANSWER functions kind of like a camera (vertebrates, jellies, some
annelids, spiders, some mollusks), single opening with a lens to focus light on a field of
photoreceptors
compound eye - ANSWER composed of many light detectors (insects), each facet has
own lens, responsible for a small part of the visual field
sclera - ANSWER outer layer of eye ball, white connective tissue
choroid - ANSWER middle layer of eye ball, colored
retina - ANSWER inner layer of eye ball, layers of neurons and photoreceptors
iris - ANSWER choroid that controls the diameter of pupil and therefore the amount of
light reaching the retina
cornea - ANSWER transparent area of the sclera
pupil - ANSWER the actual hole for light
lens - ANSWER transparent protein that focuses light by changing shape
rods - ANSWER type of photoreceptor on retina, sensitive to light but not colors
cones - ANSWER type of photoreceptor on retina, distinguishes colors, but not very light
sensitive
fovea - ANSWER center of focus, 150,000 cones/mm2 (back of retina)
