Question

Malik is in a graduate program in neuroscience studying sensation and perception. His research focuses on the translation of sound waves into neural signals. He is presenting his work at a conference. Which statement should Malik include on a slide to introduce his work?

a. Sound waves are first perceived and then transduction occurs.

b. Weber's law provides the foundation for the first step of sensing sound waves.

c. Transduction is the first step of sensing sound waves.

d. Audition is one of the only types of sensation that does not require top-down processing.

Answer 1

Malik should include the statement regarding the transduction as the first step of sensing sound waves in his presentation, explaining how sound wave stimuli are converted into electrical signals in the ear.

Step-by-step explanation:

Malik is studying sensation and perception in the context of neuroscience, and his research is centered on how sound waves are translated into neural signals. In introducing his work at a conference, Malik should include the statement that 'Transduction is the first step of sensing sound waves'. The term transduction refers to the process of converting sensory stimulus energy, such as sound waves, into action potentials. Sound waves must first be received by the ear before undergoing sensory transduction in a highly sophisticated process comparable to how a microphone operates.

Audition, like all types of senses, involves sensory transduction, in which the sensory receptor cells in the ear convert these pressure waves into electrical signals that are sent to the brain via the peripheral nervous system.