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Essay 2: Yesterday when a brown bear unexpectedly appeared in his backyard, John...

Nov 8, 2023

Essay 2: Yesterday when a brown bear unexpectedly appeared in his backyard, John ran into his house faster than he ever ran before. a. Describe how John's eye and brain enabled him to see the bear. In your description, include how the eye focused the image, transduced energy, and transmitted information to the brain; identify the parts of the brain involved. b. Explain how the "fight-or-flight" response enabled John to run faster than ever before. c. Using a current theory of emotion, account for why John experienced fear rather than anger or sadness.

answer: a. John's eye and brain enabled him to see the bear through a series of processes. First, the eye focused the image by adjusting the shape of the lens to ensure that the bear's image falls on the retina. The retina then transduced the energy from the light into neural signals through the process of phototransduction. These neural signals were then transmitted to the brain through the optic nerve. The parts of the brain involved in processing visual information include the primary visual cortex, which receives and analyzes the visual signals, and the amygdala, which plays a role in processing emotional responses to visual stimuli.

Key Concept

Visual perception involves the processes of focusing the image, transducing energy, and transmitting information to the brain.

Explanation

The eye focuses the image by adjusting the lens, transduces the energy from light into neural signals in the retina, and transmits these signals to the brain through the optic nerve. The brain then processes and analyzes the visual information. b. The "fight-or-flight" response enabled John to run faster than ever before by activating his body's physiological and psychological responses to a perceived threat. When John encountered the bear, his amygdala, a part of the brain involved in emotional processing, triggered the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones increased his heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, providing him with the necessary energy and oxygen to engage in a rapid physical response. Additionally, the release of adrenaline enhanced his muscle strength and reaction time, allowing him to run faster than usual.

Key Concept

The "fight-or-flight" response prepares the body for rapid physical action in response to a perceived threat.

Explanation

When faced with a threat, the amygdala triggers the release of stress hormones, which increase heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and muscle strength. This physiological response prepares the body for fight or flight. c. John experienced fear rather than anger or sadness due to the activation of the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion. According to this theory, emotions are experienced simultaneously with physiological responses. When John saw the bear, his brain processed the visual information and simultaneously triggered the experience of fear along with the physiological changes associated with the "fight-or-flight" response. This suggests that the emotion of fear and the physiological response occur independently but simultaneously, leading to John's experience of fear in response to the bear.

Key Concept

The Cannon-Bard theory proposes that emotions and physiological responses occur simultaneously but independently.

Explanation

According to the Cannon-Bard theory, emotions and physiological responses are separate but occur simultaneously. In John's case, his brain processed the visual information and triggered the experience of fear along with the physiological changes associated with the "fight-or-flight" response.

What are the physiological processes involved in the perception of fear in response to a threatening stimulus like a bear?, Generate me a similar question