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Chapter 36

Sensory Systems

Book Version 32
By Boundless
Boundless Biology
Biology
by Boundless
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Section 1
Sensory Processes
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Reception

Reception is the first step in the processing of sensation and is dependent on the receptor type, stimulus, and receptive field.

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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.

Section 2
Somatosensation
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Somatosensory Receptors

There are various types of tactile mechanoreceptors that work together to signal and process "touch."

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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.

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Thermoreception

Thermoreception is the process of determining temperature by comparing the activation of different thermoreceptors in the brain.

Section 3
Taste and Smell
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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.

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Reception and Transduction

Odorants and tastants produce signal molecules received by receptors, which are then processed by the brain to identify smells and tastes.

Section 4
Hearing and Vestibular Sensation
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Sound

Sound waves, characterized by frequency and amplitude, are perceived uniquely by different organisms.

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Reception of Sound

The outer, middle, and inner structures of the ear collect sound energy, converting it to audible sound.

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Transduction of Sound

When sound waves reach the ear, the ear transduces this mechanical stimulus (pressure) into a nerve impulse (electrical signal) that the brain perceives as sound.

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The Vestibular System

Gravity, acceleration, and deceleration are detected by evaluating the inertia on receptive cells in the vestibular system.

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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.

Section 5
Vision
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Light

Light is composed of photons that make up electromagnetic waves, which are characterized by wavelength, frequency, and amplitude.

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Anatomy of the Eye

Many structures in the human eye, such as the cornea and fovea, process light so it can be deciphered by rods and cones in the retina.

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Transduction of Light

Light is tranduced in rods and cones; visual information is processed in the retina before entering the brain.

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Visual Processing

Visual signals are processed in the brain through several different pathways.

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Sensory Systems
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