Final answer:
Special senses involve specific organs for olfaction, gustation, equilibrium, vision, and hearing, and convert stimuli into electrical signals. General senses use mechanoreceptors distributed throughout the body for touch and proprioception. Sensory transduction is a key function of both special and general senses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Physiological Concepts of Special Senses
The special senses are olfaction (smell), gustation (taste), equilibrium (balance and body position), vision, and hearing. Unlike general senses such as temperature, pain, and touch, special senses are associated with specific organs like the eyes, ears, tongue, and nasal passages. The primary function of these senses is sensory transduction, the conversion of stimuli into electrical signals in the nervous system. Special senses such as vision and hearing are well-understood due to extensive research, and are known to play a critical role in our interaction with the environment.
Special senses and general senses differ in their distribution and receptor localization. For instance, vision relies on the eyes to collect and focus light, which is then converted into nerve impulses. General senses, however, utilize mechanoreceptors in broader areas such as the skin, muscles, and within other organs for tactile stimuli and proprioception. Sensory receptors are critical for these processes, detecting specific types of stimuli.