12. General principles of sensory physiology
12. General principles of sensory physiology
- Gillian Pocock, Gillian PocockSenior Lecturer in Clinical Science, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK
- Christopher D. RichardsChristopher D. RichardsEmeritus Professor of Experimental Physiology, Division of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- and David A. RichardsDavid A. RichardsAssociate Professor, Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Husson University School of Pharmacy, Bangor, Maine, USA
Abstract
This chapter explores how people can smell the air, taste food, feel the earth under their feet, hear, and see what is around them. These all require some means of converting the physical and chemical properties of the environment into nerve impulses. Once a change in the environment is identified, the central nervous system (CNS) can determine the appropriate response and initiate the required course of action. The chapter reviews the process by which specific properties of the environment become encoded as nerve impulses called sensory transduction, which is carried out by specialized structures called sensory receptors. The chapter discusses the general principles that are involved in forming sensations. These sensations are a normal part of life. Different sensory receptors are specialized to respond to particular environmental factors.
