Chapter 4: The Sensory System * association area make up a large portion of the cerebral

cortex
EXTERNAL SENSATION
- a process of knowing material, concrete stimuli through the
external senses
- if there is no sensation, there is no perception

4 Elements for Sensation

a. Stimulus
- refers to any aspect of the world that influences our
behavior or conscious experience
- the physical element of an external sensation
- for every sense modality, there is a specific stimulus

Threshold Stimulus
- minimum amount of stimulus that is capable of
producing sensation

* a subthreshold or subminimal stimulus can also get a

sensation if applied repeatedly on the same receptor
THE VISUAL SENSE
b. Receptor
- is any structure in our body that is excitable to stimuli Vision - is the most valued of all external senses
- a peripheral termination of sensory fibers - if no light, then there is no vision
- for every sense of modality, there is a specific receptor “ In the country of blind, the one-eyed is the king”.
4 Elements for Vision
Exteroceptors a. Visual Stimulus
- receptors found on the external surface of the body - the light waves from the visible spectrum the part of
e.g. vision, audition, olfaction, gestation and cutaneous the electromagnetic spectrum seen by the naked eye
Proprioceptors Red – longest wavelength
- for the awareness of position and movement Violet – shortest wave length
e.g. in muscles, joints & tendons b. Visual Receptor
- are the rods and cons of the retina excited by light
Interoceptors/ Visceroceptors waves
- receptors found in the visceral organs Iris – gives the eye its color
Pupil – regulates the amount of light that enters the
c. Transmissor eye
- bundles of nerve fibers that conveys the sensory Lens – enable the refraction of the light ray that
messages to the brain passes the pupil
- for every sense of modality, there is a specific fiber
tract - these 3 causes the retinal image appear
smaller and inverted
- 2 eyes forms 2 images
Fiber Tracts - these 2 retinal images fuse so we see the
- the bundle of nerve fibers stimulus as one object
- responsible for transmitting the sensory impulses to Points of Cones Rods
the brain Difference
- ascending nerve fibers Shape Conical Tubular
Distribution in Center Periphery
d. Brain Center
Retina
- brain is continuous with the spinal cord
Function Daytime vision Nighttime vision
- each sense of modality has its own primary sensory area
Sensitivity to Sensitive Not sensitive
Color
Primary Sensory Area
- located in different lobes of the brain
- bilaterally represented Fovea
- found in both left and right cerebral hemispheres - point of clearest vision in the retina
- concerned only with basic sensory information - composed of 100% cones
Duplexity Theory of Vision Vestibular Area – concerned with equilibrium
- cones and rods mediate different kinds of vision

c. Visual Transmissors
Optic Nerve - bundle of nerve fibers emanating
from the retina
Blind Spot – point in the retina that is devoid of rods
and cones
Thalamus – last relay center of sensory impulses to
the brain

d. Brain Center
- visual signals are transmitted here particularly in the
occipital lobe

THE AUDITORY SENSE

c. Auditory Transmissor
- auditory and cochlear nerves transmits the auditory
4 Elements for Audition
messages from one cluster of neurons o another cluster of
a. Auditory Stimulus within the brainstem
- stimulus here is the sound waves from the source of
- contralateral transmission impulses from the right ear
sound
is transmitted to left brain and from left ear to right brain
- for the sense of hearing…
- this is because of the crossing auditory fiber that occur
Sound wave – physical element
in the brainstem specifically in the pons
Sound perceived – psychical element
d. Auditory Brain Center
Physical Element (Sound Psychical Element (Sound) - messages are transmitted by the thalamus here
Waves) specifically in the temporal lobe
Frequency Pitch - for meaningful perception of the heard sound it must be
Intensity Loudness relayed to the secondary and association areas
Complexity Tonal Quality/ Timbre
THE OLFACTORY AND GUSTATORY SENSES
Frequency - the sense of taste and the sense of smell have similar
- the rate of vibration of sound waves which determines stimuli but different states
the pitch of the sound
- the greater the frequency the higher the pitch

Intensity
- refers to the density of vibrating air molecules
- determines the loudness of the sound
- the greater the intensity the louder the sound

Complexity
- determines the timbre or tonal quality

b. Auditory Receptor
- human ear sensitive to sound waves from 20 to 20,000
Hz

Outer Ear – this is where the auditory canal and eardrum

are found

Middle Ear – this is where the 3 tiny, vibrating, bony

structures are found (hammer, anvil, and stirrup)

Inner Ear
Cochlea – where hair cells of the organ of corti, the 4 Elements for Olfaction & Gustation
receptor for hearing are found a. Stimulus
- stimuli for both senses are chemical substances
- stimuli for:
Smell – in gaseous state
Taste – in liquid state

b. Receptor
- for smell is the nose
- for taste is the taste bud

c. Transmissor
- for the smell is the olfactory nerve
- for the taste:
Facial Nerve – transmits gustatory signals from the
anterior two-third of the tongue
Glossopharyngeal Nerve – transmits gustatory
signals for one-third of the tongue

d. Brain Center
- Primary olfactory are is found in the temporal lobe
- Primary gustatory are is found in lower frontal lobe
below the primary motor area

Somatosensation Receptor
Touch Merkel’s Disk
Pressure Pacinian Corpuscles
Pain Free Nerve Endings
Cold Krause’s Corpuscles
Warm Ruffini’s Endings
Kinaesthesia Proprioceptors

Medical Terms
Loss of Vision (Blindness) Anopsia
Loss of Audition (Deafness) Anacousia
Loss of Olfaction Anosmia
Loss of Gustation Ageusia
Failure to feel pain Analgesia
Failure to identify an object thru Asteriognosia
touch

“Knowledge depends on our senses”. :D

THE CUTANEOUS SENSE

- receptors are found in the skin for body sensation
- Somatosensation – body sensation such as pain
Stereognosis - the ability to identify an object thru the
sense of touch

- nerve impulses are transmitted in the somatosensory

area particularly the parietal lobe

Kinaesthesia - awareness of movement

- receptors for these are found in the
muscles