University of Phoenix Material

Neurological Structures and Functions Worksheet

Short-Answer Essays

1. Describe why humans have a blind spot.

Humans have blind spots because of the optic nerve information that is sent to the brain from the retina is through the optic nerve. Well the nerve has to have a way to exit the eye, that exit is where the blind spot is.

2. Describe the functional and anatomic differences between rods and cones.
The retina is what houses the eye’s rods and cones. The eye has about 6 million cones and 120 million rods. Both rods and cones get their names from their shape. Rods do not provide color vision, and are sensitive to dim light. Cones function well in the day and provide color vision.

3. Describe the trichromatic and opponent-process theories of color vision.
The opponent-process theory of color vision states how some of our color combnations are some that we never see like reddish-green or yellowish-blue. This theory says that color is basically ran by wo opponent systems which is blue-yellow, and reg green mechanisms. The trichromatic theory of color suggests color vision is formulated by the actions of three different receptors. People who have normal vision of color should have three wavelengths of light to make different colors.

4. Trace the process of interpreting auditory information from the stimulus to the interpretation.

When a sound is heard the energy from the sound is changed into nerve impulses for the brain to interpret. When we hear a sound, the wave enters the ear canal and causes the eardrum to vibrate. The vibrations then passes through the middle ear which contains three bones that are connected. From there this gets fluid moving into the inner ear. This fluid maneuves through hair like cells which then turns those vibrations to nerve impulses. Those impulses are then moved