LSAT 113 – Section 4 – Question 02

LSAT 113 - Section 4 - Question 02

June 2002

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT113 S4 Q02
+LR
Weaken +Weak
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
83%
160
B
4%
153
C
8%
153
D
5%
153
E
1%
152
133
143
153
 +Medium 145.144 +SubsectionEasier

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is found inside the noses of various animals. While its structural development and function are clearer in other animals, most humans have a VNO that is detectable, though only microscopically. When researchers have been able to stimulate VNO cells in humans, the subjects have reported experiencing subtle smell sensations. It seems, then, that the VNO, though not completely understood, is a functioning sensory organ in most humans.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author hypothesizes that the vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a functioning sensory organ in most humans. This is based on the fact that humans reported experiencing subtle smell sensations when researchers their stimulated VNO cells.

Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that it was the stimulation of the VNO cells that caused the smell sensations, and not some other impact of the actions taken by the researcher. The information given discusses a correlation between stimulation of VNO cells and experiencing smell sensations, and the author is assuming a causal relationship from this correlation. The author is also assuming that the test subjects actually experienced the subtle smell sensations that they reported experiencing.

A
It is not known whether the researchers succeeded in stimulating only VNO cells in the human subjects’ noses.
(A) weakens the argument because it introduces the possibility of an alternative hypothesis that some other factor, not the VNO cells, was responsible for the smell sensations that the test subjects experienced.
B
Relative to its occurrence in certain other animals, the human VNO appears to be anatomically rudimentary and underdeveloped.
“Rudimentary” and “underdeveloped” does not mean nonfunctional.
C
Certain chemicals that play a leading role in the way the VNO functions in animals in which it is highly developed do not appear to play a role in its functioning in humans.
It could be the case that the VNO functions differently in other animals and in humans––the human VNO could rely on other chemicals.
D
Secondary anatomical structures associated with the VNO in other animals seem to be absent in humans.
We do not know if these secondary anatomical structures are necessary in the function of the VNO; the human VNO could have different secondary structures or could function without these secondary structures.
E
For many animal species, the VNO is thought to subtly enhance the sense of smell.
The fact that the VNO produces subtle smell sensations in animals does not weaken the argument that the VNO does something similar in humans––this may give an additional reason to believe the argument.

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LSAT PrepTest 113 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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