The 7 types of sensations, and what information they capture

We review the different ways in which our body captures data from the environment.

People are in constant contact with everything around us and the information we receive from our environment is what allows us to interact with it effectively. This information is provided by the different types of sensations.

However, sensations are not limited only to external stimuli; there are also stimuli generated by our own body that inform us of the state in which we are. Throughout this article we will talk about the different types of sensations and the characteristics of each one of them.

Sensations in psychology

In the field of psychology, a sensation refers to the phenomenon by which our body detects a stimulus or stimulation, both internal and external.. A sensation provoked by an external stimulus can be, for example, feeling a caress; while an internal sensation can be a headache or feeling the noises emitted by our empty stomach.

This concept is always accompanied by the concept of perception. However, there is a fundamental difference between the two. Whereas sensation is the sensation is the mere detection of the stimulus, perception consists of the organization, organization, organization, organization, organization, organization, organization, organization, organization, organization.perception consists of the organization, identification and interpretation of this sensory information, with the aim of interpreting and understanding this information from our environment.

Its phases

Within a sensory information detection process we find three different phases.

Physical phase

The stimulus activates the corresponding sensory receptor organ.

2. Physiological phase

A chain reaction occurs in our organism, generating the well-known process of transduction by which sensory information is converted into neuronal information and activating a series of structures of the nervous system. activating a series of structures of the nervous system.

3. Psychological phase

In this last phase the person is aware of the sensation, which provokes a reaction or response. Here we become part of the perception process..

We are usually taught that people possess five basic senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. However, we are capable of perceiving many more senses that are somewhat less well known. Among them are the kinesthetic sense and the kinesthetic sense.

Types of sensations

As mentioned above, sensations can be classified into different types. In addition, they can be classified into subgroups depending on whether they respond to external or internal stimuli.

Within the group of external senses are:

• Sense of sight.
• Sense of touch.
• Sense of hearing.
• Olfactory sense.

On the other hand, the internal senses include:

• Kinesthetic sense.
• Kinesthetic sense.

Visual sense

The sense of sight is in charge of detecting those sensations created when the person observes or looks at his environment. Within this same sense we find two different types of visual sensations:

• Chromatic sensationsChromatic sensations: generated by the detection of colors.
• Achromatic sensationsachromatic sensations: sensations generated by the degree of clarity of the environment. This ranges from white to absolute black.

The detection of the wavelength, intensity and complexity of light is made possible by visual receptors located in the retina of the eye. These receptors are known as rods and cones.

While the rods are sensitive to dim light, the cones capture the variety of colors and bright light. The sensory information obtained by these receptors is transduced into neural information that travels along the optic nerve. information that travels along the optic nerve.

When this sense fails for any cause and at any level, the different types of blindness appear, including the complete inability to see.

2. Auditory sense

Also known as hearing, this sense allows us to detect sounds that reach the internal mechanism of the auditory organ in the form of vibrations and changes in the pressure of the medium. These sensations can vary according to pitch and tone, just as they vary according to timbre.

Characteristics such as frequency, intensity and complexity of the sound waves that reach us from the external environment are detected by the auditory receptors of the ear. In this case the receptors are known as cilia or hair cell receptors.

The different patterns of cilia movement are translated into different neural codes, which ultimately lead to hearing different volume, pitch and timbre of sounds.

In this sense, the loss of the ability to hear is known as deafness, which can also appear in different degrees and affect one or both ears.

Olfactory sense

The ability to perceive the aromas and smells of the environment is known as the sense of smell. The appearance of any external fragrance, whether pleasant or unpleasant, activates the capillary receptors of the brain.activates the capillary receptors in the nostrils. These receptors transfer the signal to the olfactory bulb, located at the base of the brain.

The sense of smell can serve many purposes such as detecting dangers (smelling a gas leak), spoiled food or detecting pheromones, among many others. In addition, it is integrated with the sense of taste to effectively perceive different flavors.

A person who does not possess this ability or has lost it due to some kind of injury is a person suffering from anosmia..

4. Sense of taste

Taste is that sensation produced by a chemical reaction that occurs when a substance is detected by the taste receptor cells taste receptor cells, located in the taste buds of the oral cavity, mainly on the tongue.mainly on the tongue.

Taste receptors are activated by the presence of food or any other item placed on the tongue. Taste buds can detect four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. However, the sense of taste works together with the sense of smell and the stimulation of the trigeminal nerve to determine the different flavors, as well as their temperature.

With the passage of time and aging there is a decrease in the intensity of the perception of the different tastes, while the complete impossibility of perceiving them is known as ageism. the complete impossibility of perceiving them is known as ageusia..

5. Sense of touch

The sense of touch is the one whose sensations respond to changes in the surface of the body. That is, the person's skin, which can feel any stimulus or element that touches it.

Through the sense of touch we can perceive and identify the characteristics of objects. It allows us to know if it is smooth, rough or rough. In the same way, it can also inform us about the temperature of the objects through the activation of thermoreceptors.

Sensory information receptor cells are connected to afferent nerve fibers. Upon detection of a tactile stimulus, the sensory receptors are activated, transporting the information to the corresponding brain centers.

6. Kinesthetic sense or proprioception

Kinesthesia or proprioception refers to the ability to detect the position of the muscles, as well as the ability to be aware of the position or posture of the muscles. to be aware of the position or posture of our body in relation to our surroundings. in relation to our surroundings. This sense makes it possible to control the direction and range of our movements, thus allowing us to give quick and automatic motor responses.

Compared to the senses described above, kinesthesia is an interoceptive sense, i.e. it is responsible for detecting the stimuli and internal states of our organism.

As a consequence, it also plays an important role in the perception and maintenance of balance, as well as in the coordination of movements. On the other hand, the dysfunctions related to this sense are those that manifest themselves through motor clumsiness, falls and lack of coordination.

7. Kinesthetic sense

Finally, kinesthesia or the kinesthetic sense is one of the least known senses and is responsible for detecting the set of internal sensations of our body. The receptor units of this sense are those nerve endings of the membranes of the internal organs. It informs about the state of the organs and the organism as a whole.. The stimuli that activate them are those of the digestive, Respiratory and muscular physiology, among others.

In some fields, cenesthesia is referred to as the general sensation of the existence of one's own body and the state in which it is.