Animal Psychology Advanced - Qp1

The correct answer is "scruff" because it refers to the loose skin present behind an animal's neck. This term is commonly used to hold or grab animals, especially cats and dogs, by the scruff of their necks. The scruff is a non-sensitive area of skin that allows for better control and handling of the animal.

This question asks about the four distinct component parts that are important to consider when studying animal behavior. The correct answer is Function, Evolution, and Development. Function refers to the purpose or role of a behavior in an animal's life. Evolution involves understanding how behaviors have evolved over time through natural selection. Development refers to the process of how behaviors are acquired and change throughout an animal's lifetime. Casualness is not mentioned as one of the components in the question.

Ethology is indeed the study of animal behavior that appears to be innate and instinctual, rather than learned or influenced by the environment. Ethologists observe and analyze behaviors such as mating rituals, territoriality, and communication patterns to understand how they are genetically programmed in animals. This field of study helps us gain insights into the evolutionary adaptations and survival strategies of different species. Therefore, the statement "True" accurately reflects the nature of ethology as a scientific discipline.

Photoreceptors are sensory cells that contain pigments capable of being chemically altered by light. These pigments, such as rhodopsin in the rods and cones of the retina, undergo a chemical change when exposed to light, which triggers an electrical signal to be sent to the brain for visual processing. Sensory receptors and chemoreception are not directly related to the chemical alteration caused by light, making photoreceptors the correct answer.

The explanation for the given correct answer is that photoreceptor cells do indeed contain a pigment that is sensitive to light. This pigment is called rhodopsin and it is found in the rod cells of the retina. When light enters the eye and reaches the rod cells, it causes a chemical reaction that changes the shape of the rhodopsin molecules. This change in shape triggers a series of electrical signals that are sent to the brain, allowing us to perceive and interpret visual information. Therefore, it is true that light reversibly changes the shape of the pigment molecules in photoreceptor cells.

The given statement is true because the behavior of animals is indeed influenced by the functioning of their nerves, muscles, sense organs, and hormones. These components work together to regulate and control various aspects of an animal's behavior, including movement, perception of the environment, and response to stimuli. Nerves transmit signals, muscles enable movement, sense organs gather information from the surroundings, and hormones regulate physiological processes that can influence behavior. Therefore, the behavior of animals is ultimately a result of the coordinated functioning of these biological components.

Conditioned reflexes are a type of learned response that occurs after repeated association of a fundamental stimulus with a conditioned stimulus. This process takes time as the individual needs to experience the pairing multiple times to establish the association. Therefore, the statement that conditioned reflexes are developed over a longer period of time is true.

Invertebrate animals are not similar in the makeup of their nervous systems. In fact, the nervous systems of invertebrates can vary greatly in complexity and structure. Some invertebrates, like jellyfish, have a simple nerve net, while others, like insects, have more complex systems with ganglia and nerve cords. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that invertebrate animals are similar in the makeup of their nervous systems.

Tactile sensations are not propagated via hairs or by the deformation of skin neurons known as thermoreceptors. Tactile sensations are actually propagated through specialized nerve endings called mechanoreceptors that are located in the skin. These mechanoreceptors detect mechanical pressure, vibration, and touch, and send signals to the brain to interpret these sensations. Therefore, the correct answer is False.

Feedback control refers to the process by which animals regulate and maintain their internal environment in response to changes in external conditions. It involves detecting deviations from a set point and making adjustments to bring the system back to its desired state. Therefore, the statement that feedback control ensures animals maintain a constant state is incorrect. In reality, feedback control helps animals maintain homeostasis, which is the ability to maintain a relatively stable internal environment despite external changes.

Animals do process information from their environment via networks of neurons or nerve cells, which transmit information to each other. Therefore, the correct answer should be "True".