Multiple Choice
8.1 The Chemical Senses are Several Distinct Sensory Systems
1. Food with an umami flavor likely contains which essential nutrient?
a. Carbohydrates
b. Proteins and Amino Acids
c. Fats
d. Ions and electrolytes
Answer: b
8.2 The Gustatory System
2. Which statement about papillae is false?
a. Filiform papillae are cone-shaped, lack taste buds, and are found on the top surface
of the tongue.
b. Fungiform papillae are mushroom-shaped and can be found scattered over the
surface on the tongue; taste buds are located on top of their smooth domes.
c. Foliate papillae are found in the pharynx and lack in taste buds.
d. Circumvallate papillae are found lining the anterior surface of the tongue.
Answer: c
3. Which statement about bitter taste compounds is false?
a. Bitter taste molecules include cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
b. Many bitter molecules have physiological or psychoactive effects on animals that
could be potentially dangerous
c. Bitter taste molecules activate G-protein-coupled receptors
d. The bitter taste sensation is caused by acidic, low pH foods
Answer: d
4. Cells that express Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) are stimulated by blue light. In a
transgenic mouse that co-express ChR2 with T1R3, shinning blue light on the tongue would
cause the mouse to experience which taste modalities?
a. The mouse would experience the sensations of sweet and umami taste
simultaneously.
b. The mouse would not experience any taste sensations.
c. The mouse would experience the sensations of sweet, bitter, and umami taste
simultaneously.
d. The mouse would experience the sensations of salty and sour simultaneously.
, Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience Instructor Answer Guide
Answer: a
5. Which of the following is NOT a proposed taste modality?
a. Fatty
b. Metallic
c. Floral
d. Kokumi/richness
Answer: c
6. Which statement about olfactory coding is false?
a. Cross-fiber pattern coding allows for a few receptors or lines to encode many
modalities (as in the olfactory system), while labeled line coding requires a discrete
circuit or line for each possible modality.
b. In labeled line coding a stimulus triggers the most efficient response through a
discrete pathway or circuit starting from a specific type of receptor cells to specific
neurons that pass to higher and higher brain regions where a single sensory
modality is represented by activity in this “line” of cells.
c. In cross-fiber pattern coding, there is no overlap between the neurons activated by
both stimuli
d. In cross-fiber pattern coding a stimulus triggers activity in multiple circuits or
“lines” which together encodes for a particular sensory modality.
Answer: c
7. All of the following nerves conduct gustatory information into the nucleus of the solitary
tract, except:
a. the olfactory nerve.
b. the facial nerve.
c. the vagus nerve.
d. the glossopharyngeal nerve.
Answer: a
8. If drinking sweetened hot chocolate causes a sucrose-oriented NTS neuron to fire action
potentials at a high rate, predict the pattern of action potentials fired by the same neuron
when drinking cold chocolate milk containing a similar amount of sugar.
a. The neuron will likely fire at a higher rate when drinking cold chocolate milk.
b. The neuron will not fire when drinking cold chocolate milk.
c. The neuron will likely fire at the same rate when drinking cold chocolate milk.
d. The neuron will likely fire at a lower rate when drinking cold chocolate milk.
Answer: d
2
Updated October 2024
8.1 The Chemical Senses are Several Distinct Sensory Systems
1. Food with an umami flavor likely contains which essential nutrient?
a. Carbohydrates
b. Proteins and Amino Acids
c. Fats
d. Ions and electrolytes
Answer: b
8.2 The Gustatory System
2. Which statement about papillae is false?
a. Filiform papillae are cone-shaped, lack taste buds, and are found on the top surface
of the tongue.
b. Fungiform papillae are mushroom-shaped and can be found scattered over the
surface on the tongue; taste buds are located on top of their smooth domes.
c. Foliate papillae are found in the pharynx and lack in taste buds.
d. Circumvallate papillae are found lining the anterior surface of the tongue.
Answer: c
3. Which statement about bitter taste compounds is false?
a. Bitter taste molecules include cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
b. Many bitter molecules have physiological or psychoactive effects on animals that
could be potentially dangerous
c. Bitter taste molecules activate G-protein-coupled receptors
d. The bitter taste sensation is caused by acidic, low pH foods
Answer: d
4. Cells that express Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) are stimulated by blue light. In a
transgenic mouse that co-express ChR2 with T1R3, shinning blue light on the tongue would
cause the mouse to experience which taste modalities?
a. The mouse would experience the sensations of sweet and umami taste
simultaneously.
b. The mouse would not experience any taste sensations.
c. The mouse would experience the sensations of sweet, bitter, and umami taste
simultaneously.
d. The mouse would experience the sensations of salty and sour simultaneously.
, Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience Instructor Answer Guide
Answer: a
5. Which of the following is NOT a proposed taste modality?
a. Fatty
b. Metallic
c. Floral
d. Kokumi/richness
Answer: c
6. Which statement about olfactory coding is false?
a. Cross-fiber pattern coding allows for a few receptors or lines to encode many
modalities (as in the olfactory system), while labeled line coding requires a discrete
circuit or line for each possible modality.
b. In labeled line coding a stimulus triggers the most efficient response through a
discrete pathway or circuit starting from a specific type of receptor cells to specific
neurons that pass to higher and higher brain regions where a single sensory
modality is represented by activity in this “line” of cells.
c. In cross-fiber pattern coding, there is no overlap between the neurons activated by
both stimuli
d. In cross-fiber pattern coding a stimulus triggers activity in multiple circuits or
“lines” which together encodes for a particular sensory modality.
Answer: c
7. All of the following nerves conduct gustatory information into the nucleus of the solitary
tract, except:
a. the olfactory nerve.
b. the facial nerve.
c. the vagus nerve.
d. the glossopharyngeal nerve.
Answer: a
8. If drinking sweetened hot chocolate causes a sucrose-oriented NTS neuron to fire action
potentials at a high rate, predict the pattern of action potentials fired by the same neuron
when drinking cold chocolate milk containing a similar amount of sugar.
a. The neuron will likely fire at a higher rate when drinking cold chocolate milk.
b. The neuron will not fire when drinking cold chocolate milk.
c. The neuron will likely fire at the same rate when drinking cold chocolate milk.
d. The neuron will likely fire at a lower rate when drinking cold chocolate milk.
Answer: d
2
Updated October 2024
