36: Sensory Systems
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- 36.1: Sensory Processes - Reception
- Reception is the first step in the processing of sensation and is dependent on the receptor type, stimulus, and receptive field.
- 36.2: Sensory Processes - Transduction and Perception
- Transduction is the process that converts a sensory signal to an electrical signal to be processed in a specialized area in the brain.
- 36.3: Somatosensation - Somatosensory Receptors
- There are various types of tactile mechanoreceptors that work together to signal and process “touch.”
- 36.4: Somatosensation - Integration of Signals from Mechanoreceptors
- The many types of somatosensory receptors work together to ensure our ability to process the complexity of stimuli that are transmitted.
- 36.5: Somatosensation - Thermoreception
- Thermoreception is the process of determining temperature by comparing the activation of different thermoreceptors in the brain.
- 36.6: Taste and Smell - Tastes and Odors
- The senses of taste and smell are related because they use the same types of receptors and are stimulated by molecules in solutions or air.
- 36.7: Taste and Smell - Reception and Transduction
- Odorants and tastants produce signal molecules received by receptors, which are then processed by the brain to identify smells and tastes.
- 36.8: Hearing and Vestibular Sensation - Sound
- Sound waves, characterized by frequency and amplitude, are perceived uniquely by different organisms.
- 36.9: Hearing and Vestibular Sensation - Reception of Sound
- The outer, middle, and inner structures of the ear collect sound energy, converting it to audible sound.
- 36.10: Hearing and Vestibular Sensation - The Vestibular System
- Gravity, acceleration, and deceleration are detected by evaluating the inertia on receptive cells in the vestibular system.
- 36.11: Hearing and Vestibular Sensation - Balance and Determining Equilibrium
- With hair cells in the inner ear that sense linear and rotational motion, the vestibular system determines equilibrium and balance states.