Analyzer

A complex system of nervous formations in higher animals and humans that perceives and analyzes phenomena occurring in the surrounding world and within the organism itself.

The perception of incoming information begins in receptors - the nerve endings of sensory (afferent) nerves. Receptors translate the energy of the irritating effect into nerve impulses, which are then transmitted along the pathways of the nervous system to the higher (central) sections of the analyzers - various parts of the cerebral cortex.

The main part of analyzers perceives information from the environment. These are the so-called exteroceptive analyzers. These include the organs of hearing, vision, smell, taste, and touch. Other analyzers analyze the state of the internal environment of the body (interoceptive analyzers). The vestibular and musculoskeletal systems, blood pressure levels, etc. are under their control.

Analyzers are complexly organized structures that supply the brain with accurate and fairly detailed information about many biologically significant events both outside and inside the body.

A characteristic property of analyzers is the principle of expanding (extensive) projection - the higher the level of representation of the analyzer, the greater the number of elements of the nervous system included in it.

The minimum number of nerve elements is located at the level of receptors and the maximum at the level of the cerebral cortex, and therefore the higher parts of the central nervous system are capable of carrying out a more subtle and complex analysis of the information received.

Each analyzer has a specific projection zone at all levels of the central nervous system. However, at the level of its higher sections, and especially in the cerebral cortex, these zones are located one on top of the other - they overlap. This achieves a closer interaction between various analyzers, and therefore a more complete analysis of the perceived information and, ultimately, the creation of a more complete picture (image) of the external world.

It is the unity of analysis and synthesis that ensures the correspondence of ideas with reality.

If any analyzer is damaged (damage, illness) during training, the capabilities of other analyzers are expanded compensatory. For example, blind people have much more developed hearing, touch, and perception of pressure and temperature than sighted people. This compensation allows you to remain a productive member of society.