Final answer:
Nociception responds to injured stimuli, or harmful signals from damaged tissue, which nociceptors detect and transmit to the central nervous system.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nociception is the sensory nervous system's process of encoding and processing noxious (harmful) stimuli. In the context of your question, nociception responds to injured stimuli (option a). Nociceptors, which are specialized sensory receptors, detect signals from damaged tissue and transmit that information to the central nervous system, often resulting in the experience of pain. This process is essential for the protection of the body, as it helps to alert an individual to potential damage and avoid harmful situations. In contrast, nociception does not respond to deep, fleeting pressure, fine touch, or cold in the same way, as these sensations are typically processed by different types of sensory receptors.