Recent research has demonstrated that members of some families are unable to feel pain - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 3 - 2007 - Paper 1
Question 3
Recent research has demonstrated that members of some families are unable to feel pain. They respond normally to touch, temperature and pressure and have no signs of... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Recent research has demonstrated that members of some families are unable to feel pain - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 3 - 2007 - Paper 1
Step 1
A. neurons in the skin are unable to respond to external stimuli.
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Answer
This statement is incorrect. Affected individuals respond normally to external stimuli such as touch, indicating that neurons in the skin function properly.
Step 2
B. ion channels are blocked in one group of specialised neurons.
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Answer
This statement is the most reasonable conclusion. The inability to feel pain while responding normally to other stimuli suggests a disruption in the pain pathway, possibly due to blocked ion channels in pain receptors.
Step 3
C. neurons are unable to produce neurotransmitters.
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Answer
This statement does not align with the observed responses. If neurons were unable to produce neurotransmitters, the individuals would likely not respond to any stimuli.
Step 4
D. brain cells fail to respond to electrical signals.
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This is incorrect as the ability to feel touch and temperature indicates that brain cells are responding appropriately. The specific impairment is related to pain perception.
