Sensory Biology : How The Sensory System Of The Human Body

The human brain is capable of perceiving and interpreting information or stimuli received through the sense organs (i.e., eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin) (Weiten, 1998). This ability to perceive and interpret stimulus allows the human being to make meaningful sense of the world and environment around them. However, even as the human being is able to perceive and interpret stimuli information through all sense organs, stimuli is most often or primarily interpreted using the visual (eyes) and auditory (ears) sense organs (Anderson, 2009). However, for the purpose of this paper, the visual information process will be examined.

Of the five senses that humans employ in everyday life, taste and sight are two of the more interesting senses. They are continually developed throughout our entire lives and we are exposed to new sights and tastes everyday. Many people think that our senses are all unique and independent of each other, but taste and sight are surprising similar in many aspects, such as their development. Not only are taste and sight developed similarly, but they are also affected by familiarity, socialization, and memory. Although many people in the world believe that all our senses are different in function and development, taste and sight have a unique connection between the two senses that makes them very similar.

An individual with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has sensory processing dysfunctions, one of these dysfunctions relates to hearing (auditory input). The structures of the ear make it possible for the hearing receptors to be activated by the vibrations that sound produces. These receptors process the sounds; thus, allowing the brain to distinguish and then interpret them (i.e., speech, noise or music).

The term sensation is used when referencing the process of sensing the environment through taste, touch, sound, smell, and sight (Goldstein, 2014). Moreover, it is the process that occurs once the sensory receptor experiences stimulation, which in turn produces nerve impulses that are sent to the brain to be processed in its raw form, then perception comes into play (Goldstein, 2014). Perception is used to describe the way people interpret these sensations and tries to make sense of everything around them on a daily basis. Perception is the occurrences of the brain

These receptors record on a extensive form of sensory modalities including changes in temperature, stress, touch, sound, mild, style, odor, physique and limb actions, and even blood pressure and chemistry. Scientists have recognized for nearly a hundred thirty years that distinct afferent nerve fibers of the peripheral nervous procedure are in contact with specialized non neural receptive buildings which realize and transmit sensory knowledge from the periphery to the Central Nervous System. The non neural receptive structure in conjunction with its afferent nerve fiber is mainly called a

The above points also shows the roles of “nature” and “nurture” with regard to the interpretation and evaluation of sensory data

Though our sensory organs may be working fine, environmental influences may distort our interpretation of the data the organ is sending to us. For example, we could look down a street and not see anyone and think it is safe to walk down that street, but someone could be behind a tree or other object. We do not always interpret sensory data correctly no matter what sensory organ we are using. That is the most important reason we should be aware that we may not always rely on sensory information. Our senses are who we are, without them we are left to isolation and our ability to think and learn due to lack of experience. Senses are our connection from the physical world into the realm of our mind. “There is nothing in the mind unless it is first in the senses” (Kirby &

Smith Roley, S., Mailloux, Z., Miller-Kuhaneck, H., & Glennon, T. (2007). Understanding Ayres’ Sensory Integration

What would it be like to not be able to hear, see, touch, taste and smell? That is the question that scientists have been trying to answer with Sensory Deprivation experiments throughout the years. “Sensory deprivation is the deliberate removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses,” (Hanchett 1). Sensory Deprivation can be scary. Losing all of your senses and the idea of the material world not being at your fingers for just a second is a frightening thought to most. We all depend on our senses to keep us alive. We can look and see if a car is

Sensation and Perception is an intricate process, although they are unified uninterrupted processes that grow throughout

By far and large, people tend to take it for granted that the content of individuals’ subjective sensory experiences are relatively uniform with each other. The impressions of one are generally assumed by the one to represent the common sensory experiences of others by large. To assume such, however, is to overlook the diversity in one of, if not the most, fundamental aspects effecting consciousness and behavior. Perhaps, with a minimal degree of recognition, people can accept minor differences that manifest in common variances in preference of taste, color, thermostat setting, and the like. But when it comes to more marked differences in preference of and reaction to varying types and intensities of stimuli across a number of sensory modalities, people tend to be lacking in genuine understanding and empathy.

However, there are other processes that are involved before the living organism produces a perception from a physical sensation. Other sensory organs and systems include: the eye and visual system, ears and auditory system, the nose and olfaction, taste-buds or tongue and gustation, somesthetic sense and warning and reminding