Julianna Jo C.

Gulle September 19, 2021

BSN-1 NB NSG 10

WEEK 6: LECTURE ASSIGNMENT

1. Describe how a stimulus becomes a sensation.

As sensory receptors receive stimuli—such as taste, light, odor, pressure,
vibration, heat, and pain—from both the internal and external environments of the
body, they generate action potentials which are propagated along nerves and are
then sent to the brain.
The first step in sensation is reception, where sensory receptors in the eyes,
ears, mouth, nose, hands, or feet (or the skin as a whole) are activated by stimuli.
The second step is transduction, where translation of a sensory signal to an
electrical signal or nerve impulse in the nervous system occurs. As the electrical
signals or nerve impulses enter the cerebral cortex of the brain, they are then
interpreted in the process of perception.
Finally, the stimulus becomes a sensation.

2. Perhaps you have heard someone say that eating carrots is good for the
eyes. What is the basis for this claim?
Carrots are believed to promote eye health because they contain beta-
carotene. Once digested, this beta-carotene is then converted into vitamin A or
retinol. The vitamin A or retinol is a precursor to retinal, an active metabolite which
plays a critical role in vision.
Together with the protein opsin, retinal forms rhodopsin, which is found in
rods. Rhodopsin is necessary for rods to respond to low levels of light, therefore
we can infer that carrots, which are sources of beta-carotene that forms retinal, are
good for the eyes.

3. How does dark and light adaptation occur?

Dark and light adaptation occurs based on the amount of available
rhodopsin. When a person is exposed to bright light, excess rhodopsin is broken
down. For context, rhodopsin is the one setting off chemical reactions that create
electrical signals, which are then transmitted to the brain where they are
interpreted as vision. When excess rhodopsin is broken down, not much is
available to initiate action potentials. Therefore, the eyes will eventually adapt to
the bright light. In contrast, when the person is exposed to a dark area, more
rhodopsin is produced. This process makes the retina more sensitive to light.
Additionally, light and dark adaptation involves pupil reflexes. In bright
places, the pupil of the person enlarges to allow more light into the eye. In dark
 places, the pupil of the person constricts to restrict some light from entering the
eye.
Lastly, light and dark adaptation also depends on the rod and cone function.
Because rod cells are more sensitive to light than cone cells, rod function
decreases and cone function increases when the person is exposed to bright
areas. Conversely, rod function increases and cone function decreases when the
person is exposed to dark areas.

4. Explain how binocular vision allows for depth perception.

Because the visual fields of the left and right eyes overlap partially, this
forms the binocular vision. The region of overlap—the area seen with both eyes at
the same time—is the area of binocular vision. As a person spots the same object
with both eyes, the image of that object reaches the retina of one eye at a different
angle from that of the other. This leads the brain to interpret the differences in
angle, which allows the person to accurately judge the distance of that object.
Therefore, binocular vision paves the way for depth perception, the ability
to determine the distance of an object from the person.
REFERENCES:

Lumen Learning. (n.d.). Introduction to Sensation.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/introduction-to-
sensation/

Molnar, C., & Gair, J. (2015). Concepts of Biology – 1st Canadian Edition. BCcampus.
https://opentextbc.ca/biology/

Vanputte, C., Regan, J., & Russo, A. (2019). Seeley’s Essentials of Anatomy and
Physiology (10th ed.). Anatomy and Physiology. (Book)

VIVO Pathophysiology. (n.d.). Vitamin A (Retinol).

http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/topics/vitamina.html