I thought I would help your preparation by sending you the essays (you have to write them fresh in class though):
Essay Complete one full essay. You may do one, two or three of the others for extra credit.
1. From a distal light source to the brain, sequentially trace a visual stimulus that registers as the color red for a person. Trace the visual stimulus through the eye and nervous system. Why does a person see “red.” What is “red?”
2. Discuss the psychological question of nature versus nurture when it comes to taste/smell. Why do you like your favorite food? Be sure to include in your answer an understanding of Olfactory System, taste buds (and 4 receptors of taste), taste sensitivity the Gustatory System and sensory interaction.
3. How are tactile and thermal data routed to the brain? Explain this by choosing an injury you have had in the past. Explain the gate-control theory and how the injury registered pain.
4. A giant redwood falls in the forest. You are standing nearby. Describe the “sound” you would hear. Would there be a “sound” if there was no one there to hear it? Be sure to include theses concepts in your answer: auditory localization, amplitude, wavelength, purity and pitch.
