Final answer:
The meaning of esthesi/o and -esthesia is related to the sense of feeling and nervous sensation. Esthesi/o refers to sensory perception while -esthesia denotes a state of sensitivity such as in anesthesia, which is a loss of sensation due to drugs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The terms esthesi/o and -esthesia are related to the sense of feeling and nervous sensation. The prefix 'esthesi/o' is of Greek origin, where 'esthesis' means sensation, and is commonly used in medical terminology to denote sensory perception. On the other hand, '-esthesia' as a suffix refers to a state of sensitivity, such as in the word 'anesthesia', which literally means 'without sensation' and is used to describe a state induced by drugs where sensation, particularly the sense of pain, is temporarily lost.
The five human senses are hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell, which are a part of the body's somatosensory system. Somatosensation represents the general senses, which include a variety of sensory modalities like pressure, vibration, light touch, temperature, pain, proprioception, and kinesthesia. These senses are crucial for interacting with our environment and are facilitated through sensory transduction, where sensory stimuli are converted into electrical signals in the nervous system.