In most sensory systems, cells at all levels of the nervous system - from the surface sheet of receptors to the cerebral cortex - are arranged in an orderly, map-like manner. With bilateral receptor systems - the two ears or the two nostrils for example - the relative time of arrival of the stimulus at the two receptors is directly related to the stimulus.  

Johns Hopkins University

University of Rochester

Sensory receptor organs act as filters of the environment by responding to certain stimuli (ie. eyes for vision, ears for hearing). These organs, often times body parts, are particularly sensitive to some forms of energy.
- Receptor cells
- Hierarchy of Sensory Systems

Sensory Organs

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

Hierarchy of Sensory Systems

Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that are uniquely responsive to specific types of stimuli from the environment. Their function is to detect sensory information, such as light, sound, or pressure, and initiate the process of sensation.

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