Chapter 6 Practice Quiz

Question 1

The law of specific nerve energies states that:

a. every stimulation of the optic nerve is perceived as light.
b. the speed of action potentials varies depending on the strength of the stimulus.
c. any stimulation above the threshold produces an action potential.
d. perception of a repeated stimulus fades.

Answer 1

a. every stimulation of the optic nerve is perceived as light.

Question 2

In what order does visual information pass through the retina?

a. ganglion cells, bipolar cells, receptor cells
b. receptor cells, ganglion cells, bipolar cells
c. bipolar cells, receptor cells, ganglion cells
d. receptor cells, bipolar cells, ganglion cells

Answer 2

d. receptor cells, bipolar cells, ganglion cells

Question 3

The optic nerve is composed of axons from which kind of cell?

a. ganglion cells
b. horizontal cells
c. rods and cones
d. bipolar cells

Answer 3

a. ganglion cells

Question 4

Which of the following characterizes the fovea?

a. It has the greatest perception of detail.
b. It has more rods than cones.
c. It falls in the shadow cast by the pupil.
d. It surrounds the point of exit of the optic nerve.

Answer 4

a. It has the greatest perception of detail.

Question 5

Which receptors are responsible for the perception of color?

a. cones
b. both rods and cones
c. horizontal and amacrine cells
d. rods

Answer 5

a. cones

Question 6

Which theory emphasizes the idea that color vision depends on the relative responses of three kinds of cones?

a. opponent-process theory
b. volley theory
c. Young-Helmholtz theory
d. retinal theory

Answer 6

c. Young-Helmholtz theory

Question 7

Color constancy is the ability to:

a. differentiate among many colors and hues.
b. perceive all wavelengths as the same color.
c. recognize the color of an object despite changes in lighting.
d. see color, even in very faint light.

Answer 7

c. recognize the color of an object despite changes in lighting.

Question 8

The enhancement of contrast at the edge of an object is the result of:

a. the diffraction of light from the edge’s surface.
b. lateral inhibition in the retina.
c. the color of the object.
d. fatigue of the rods and cones.

Answer 8

b. lateral inhibition in the retina.

Question 9

In the vertebrate retina, which cells are responsible for lateral inhibition?

a. glial cells
b. bipolar cells
c. horizontal cells
d. ganglion cells

Answer 9

c. horizontal cells

Question 10

Which ganglion cells, if any, are located mostly in or near the fovea?

a. koniocellular
b. magnocellular
c. They are all distributed equally.
d. parvocellular

Answer 10

d. parvocellular

Question 11

Visual information from the lateral geniculate area goes to the:

a. retina.
b. thalamus.
c. hypothalamus.
d. primary visual cortex.

Answer 11

d. primary visual cortex.

Question 12

Once within the cerebral cortex, the magnocellular pathway continues as a pathway sensitive to:

a. depth.
b. visual memories.
c. movement.
d. details of shape.

Answer 12

c. movement.

Question 13

Damage to the dorsal stream may interfere with:

a. perceiving the movement of an object.
b. remembering something seen at a previous time.
c. describing what is seen.
d. reaching out to grasp an object.

Answer 13

d. reaching out to grasp an object.

Question 14

Which of the following would most strongly excite a simple cell in the primary visual cortex?

a. donut
b. loud sound
c. square picture frame
d. diffuse light throughout the visual field

Answer 14

c. square picture frame

Question 15

What is one way to determine whether a given cell in the primary visual cortex is “simple” or “complex”?

a. Whether it can respond equally to lines in more than one location.
b. Whether it is sensitive to the orientation of the stimulus.
c. Whether its receptive field is monocular or binocular.
d. The shape of its receptive field.

Answer 15

a. Whether it can respond equally to lines in more than one location.

Question 16

An inability to recognize objects despite otherwise satisfactory vision is called:

a. prosopagnosia.
b. visual agnosia.
c. blindsight.
d. hemianopsia.

Answer 16

b. visual agnosia.

Question 17

Color perception depends MOSTLY on the:

a. magnocellular pathway.
b. superior colliculus.
c. parvocellular pathway.
d. lateral geniculate.

Answer 17

** c. parvocellular pathway.**

Question 18

The ability that you have to determine that your eyes are moving, instead of the room that you are in, is a function of which brain area?

a. primary visual cortex
b. inferior temporal cortex
c. MT
d. area MST

Answer 18

d. area MST

Question 19

Most of the neurons in the visual cortex of very young kittens respond to:

a. one eye, and continue that way.
b. both eyes, but later fine tune to only one.
c. both eyes, and continue that way.
d. one eye, but later develop binocular control.

Answer 19

c. both eyes, and continue that way.

Question 20

Children with strabismus fail to develop:

a. the ability to recognize faces.
b. perception of movement.
c. any kind of depth perception.
d. stereoscopic depth perception.

Answer 20

d. stereoscopic depth perception.