Dictionary > Proprioception

Proprioception

Definition
noun
A sensory perception of motion and relative position of the body through the receptors in tissues such as muscles, tendons, inner ear and joints
Supplement
Proprioception is a perception or sense of the movement and the position of one’s body at a subconscious level. It enables the individual to sense the relative position of body parts to the other parts of the body. It also enables to perceive the strength of effort used in movement.1 For instance, the person would be able to know the position of the arm above the head or would be able to touch the nose with one’s finger even if blindfolded. This is possible because the muscle of the body would relay information to the brain from the sensory nerves that the body part is moving with respect to the other parts of the body.
Proprioception is sometimes used interchangeably with kinesthesia or kinesthetic sense. That is because kinesthesia refers to the awareness of movement and position of the body parts by means of proprioceptors. However, kinesthesia is more about the sense of motion and excludes the sense of equilibrium or balance. A disruption in the sense of equilibrium or balance would also affect proprioception but not kinesthetic sense.2
Word origin: Latin proprius (“one’s own”, “individual”) + capio, capere (“to take or grasp”)
See also:

Reference(s):

1Proprioception. Retrieved from ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception.

2Proprioception. Retrieved from ://www.physio-pedia.com/Proprioception.


You will also like...

Gibberellins and Gibberellic Acid
Gibberellins and Gibberellic Acid

This tutorial describes the role of gibberellin family in plants. Find out the effects of gibberellin on plant growth an..

bryophyte - sporophyte and gametophyte
Meiosis and Alternation of Generations

Plants are characterized by having alternation of generations in their life cycles. This tutorial is a review of plant m..

Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung
Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung

In this tutorial, the works of Carl Gustav Jung and Sigmund Freud are described. Both of them actively pursued the way h..

Evolution of Life - Ancient Earth
Evolution of Life – Ancient Earth

Autotrophs flourished, absorbing carbon and light. Soon after, primitive life forms that could assimilate oxygen thrived..

Genetics and Evolution
Genetics and Evolution

Humans are diploid creatures. This means that for every chromosome in the body, there is another one to match it. Howeve..

genes controlling growth and development
Control of Growth & Development

Control of Growth & Development tutorials look at how the genetic makeup determines the biological processes on a da..

Related Articles...

No related articles found

See all Related Topics