sensation

• SENSATION


  -       a process where we detect physical energy from the environment and encode it as neural signals
• sense organ: eyes

  various senses: sight

  receptor cell: rods and cones in the retina
• sense organ: earsvarious senses:  hearingreceptor cell: hair cells in the organ of corti
• sense organ: tongue

  various senses: gustatory

  receptor cell: taste cells in the taste buds
• sense organ: nose

  various senses: olfactory

  receptor cell: olfactory epithelium cells
• sense organ: skin

  various senses: pressure, pain, warmth, cold

  receptor cell: subcutaneous adipose tissues
• THRESHOLDS


  -          divides the line between what energy can be detected or not
• Absolute Thresholds


  -          the minimal amount of energy that can produce a sensation
• Difference Thresholds


  -          tells about the minimum difference in the magnitude of two stimuli present
• Just Noticeable Differences (jnd)

  -          the minimal amount by which a source of energy must be increased or decreased so that a difference in intensity will be perceives

   
• SENSORY ADAPTATION


  Sensitization

  -          or positive adaptation

  -          process of becoming more sensitive to stimulation

  Desensitization

  -          or negative adaptation

  -          process of becoming less sensitive to stimulation