Threshold

The threshold is the minimum value of a stimulus at which it can still cause a sensation or reaction.

Threshold values ​​are typical for all sense organs and reflect their sensitivity. For example, the hearing threshold is the minimum sound intensity that a person can still hear. The taste threshold determines the minimum concentration of a substance at which it causes a taste sensation.

Sensation thresholds are individual and depend on many factors: age, state of the analyzers, level of training, etc. Thus, hearing and vision thresholds increase with age. And with training, thresholds can decrease - a person begins to distinguish between weaker stimuli.

Exceeding the threshold value, as a rule, indicates a dysfunction of a particular analyzer. Therefore, the determination of thresholds is widely used in medical diagnostics.