Question

after the brain receives information from the body's sensory receptors, what is the next step in responding to this information?

Answer 1

The sensory receptors refer to the portions of the nervous system, which sense variations in the external or internal surroundings. The sensory input can be in various forms, comprising taste, pressure, light, sound, pH of blood, or levels of hormones, which are transformed into a signal and are transmitted to the brain or spinal cord.  

In the sensory centers of the brain, the barrage of information is integrated and a response is produced. The response, that is, a motor output refers to a signal conducted towards organs via motor neurons, which then transforms the signal into some kind of action, like changes in heart rate, movement, discharge of hormones, and others.  

Answer 2

Sensory receptors are specialized nerve endings, located in sensory organs (such as tongue, skin, nose, eyes, ear,etc) and internal organs, capable of capturing internal or external stimulations.

Sensory processing:

- Sensory information is received by the peripheral nervous system and processed by sensory neurons and synapses of the spinal cord and brain. Sensation is the response of sensory receptors to specific stimuli and their subsequent neurophysiological processing. Perception is the result of the integration and processing of sensations by the superior nerve centers.

- Sensory processing begins with transduction, which involves the conversion of the energy of a stimulus (pressure, heat,molecules) into the electrical energy of a nerve potential. In all cases first a potential generator originates. If this potential exceeds a certain thresshold, an action potential is generated that travels through afferent sensory pathways.

- The different modalities between the senses (touch, vision or smell) lie in the specificity of the recipient, the frequency of transmission, the sensory pathways and their analysis and interpretation in special areas of the central nervous system.

- Sensory systems receive information from the environment and transmit it to the central nervous system, which uses it for four functions: Maintenance of nerve activation, perception, regulation of internal organ functions and movement control, including reflex movements.

The nervous system also receives information from inside the body and uses it in the regulation of homeostasis of the organism (body, temperature, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate)