Question 1

Which of the following best describes the type of graded potential generated by most special sensory receptors (excluding olfactory bipolar cells)?

Accepted Answer

Generator potentials

Question 2

A patient presents with loss of vision in the left visual field of both eyes. Which part of the visual pathway is most likely affected?

Accepted Answer

Right optic tract

Question 3

Which of the following best explains why color blindness is more common in males than in females?

Accepted Answer

The genes for cone pigments are X-linked recessive

Question 4

During phototransduction in rods, what is the role of cGMP?

Accepted Answer

cGMP opens Na+ channels, allowing depolarization in the dark

Question 5

A 60-year-old patient complains that reading up close has become difficult. Which of the following best explains this change?

Accepted Answer

Presbyopia due to decreased lens elasticity

Question 6

Which cranial nerves carry sensory information from taste buds to the brain?

Accepted Answer

VII (Facial), IX (Glossopharyngeal), X (Vagus)

Question 7

Which of the following best describes the process of accommodation in the eye?

Accepted Answer

Ciliary muscles contract, lens becomes more convex, increasing refractive power

Question 8

A patient with a pituitary tumor compressing the optic chiasma is most likely to experience which visual deficit?

Accepted Answer

Bitemporal hemianopsia (loss of peripheral vision in both eyes)

Question 9

Which of the following best explains why K$$^+$$ ions move into hair cells during sound transduction in the cochlea?

Accepted Answer

The endolymph has a higher K$$^+$$ concentration than the inside of the hair cell

Question 10

Which structure in the cochlea is responsible for distinguishing different sound pitches?

Accepted Answer

Basilar membrane

Question 11

A patient is diagnosed with sensorineural deafness. Which of the following best describes the underlying cause?

Accepted Answer

Damage to hair cells or auditory nerve

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the function of otoliths in the maculae of the vestibule?

Accepted Answer

Detect linear acceleration and head position relative to gravity

Question 13

Which of the following is the correct order of neural pathway components for the sense of smell?

Accepted Answer

Olfactory receptor cell → olfactory bulb (mitral cell) → olfactory cortex

Question 14

Which of the following best explains why the optic disc is called the 'blind spot'?

Accepted Answer

It lacks photoreceptors

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the process of 'bleaching' in photoreceptors?

Accepted Answer

Conversion of retinal from cis to trans form, causing dissociation from opsin

Question 16

Which of the following best explains why humans have depth perception?

Accepted Answer

Each eye views a slightly different image, and the brain integrates the two

Question 17

Which of the following is a real-world example of conduction deafness?

Accepted Answer

A patient with otosclerosis (ossicle fusion) has reduced hearing

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the effect of a blocked scleral venous sinus?

Accepted Answer

Increased intraocular pressure leading to glaucoma

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why we stop feeling like we're moving in a car after a while, even though we are still moving?

Accepted Answer

The hair cells in the vestibular apparatus adapt to constant stimulation

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the difference between rods and cones?

Accepted Answer

Rods are more sensitive to light but have lower acuity; cones provide color vision and high acuity

Chapter 15: The Special Senses – Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions