Pressure applied to the eye produces a sensation of light, and electrical stimulation of the optic nerve also produces a sensation of light. This observation illustrates which principle?
- A Weber-Fechner law of stimulus intensity
- B Lateral inhibition in sensory pathways
- C Law of specific nerve energies ✓
- D Population coding of stimulus location
Correct answer: C. Law of specific nerve energies
Explanation
Johannes Muller's law of specific nerve energies states that the perceived quality of a sensation depends on which sensory pathway or cortex is activated, not on how the pathway is activated. Any adequate stimulus to the optic nerve yields visual sensation. The Weber-Fechner law concerns perceived intensity versus stimulus magnitude, lateral inhibition sharpens contrast between adjacent receptors, and population coding refers to distributed activity patterns rather than modality specificity.
Reference: Ganong's Review of Medical Physiology, 26th ed.
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