Summary
In the retina, light is registered when photons make contact with molecules of rhodopsin and cause the molecules to change shape. Rhodopsin molecules sometimes change shape caused by normal molecular motion, which causes errors in the visual system. The amount of normal molecular motion is directly proportional to the temperature of the retina.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
The warmer the retina, the higher the chance that errors in the visual system occur.
A
The temperature of an animal’s retina depends on the amount of light the retina is absorbing.
This answer is not supported. We don’t know whether the amount of light the retina absorbs actually causes the retina to change in temperature.
B
The visual systems of animals whose body temperature matches that of their surroundings are more error-prone in hot surroundings than in cold ones.
This answer is strongly supported. If the amount of normal molecular motion that causes visual errors is proportional to the temperature of the retina, then the warmer an animals’ environment the more error-prone that animal’s visual system is.
C
As the temperature of the retina rises, rhodopsin molecules react more slowly to being struck by photons.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus how quickly rhodopsin reacts after being struck by photons.
D
Rhodopsin molecules are more sensitive to photons in animals whose retinas have large surface areas than in animals whose retinas have small surface areas.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus if the surface area of an animal’s retina is correlated with the sensitivity of rhodopsin molecules.
E
Molecules of rhodopsin are the only pigment molecules that occur naturally in the retina.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know whether rhodopsin is the only pigment molecule. We only know that it is an example of a naturally occurring pigment molecule.
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