Sensation

What this topic is about

The review follows sensory information from receptors to the brain. It introduces thresholds and sensory processing, then describes vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, pain, and the body's position and balance senses.

Key ideas

• Transduction converts physical stimulation into signals the brain can process.
• The absolute threshold is the minimum stimulation detected 50% of the time; the difference threshold is the smallest detectable change.
• Weber's law relates a detectable change to the intensity of the original stimulus; sensory adaptation reduces response to constant stimulation.
• The video describes rods and cones, color theories, hearing pathways and pitch, chemical senses, touch, and pain.
• Kinesthetic and vestibular senses provide information about body movement, position, balance, and orientation.