1. Stimulation: The process begins with a stimulus from the environment, such as light, sound, pressure, temperature, or chemicals.

2. Sensory Receptors: Specialized cells in our sensory organs (like eyes, ears, skin, tongue, and nose) detect these stimuli. Each receptor type is designed to be most sensitive to a specific type of stimulus.

3. Transduction: This is the core of the process. The sensory receptors convert the stimulus energy into a form of energy that the nervous system can understand: electrical signals. These signals are called action potentials.

* Example: Light hitting the photoreceptor cells in your eye triggers a chemical reaction that changes the electrical charge across the cell's membrane, creating an action potential.

4. Transmission: The action potential travels along the sensory neuron, which carries the information to the brain.

5. Interpretation: The brain receives the signals and interprets them, creating our conscious perception of the world. Different areas of the brain process information from different sensory systems.

In essence, transduction is the bridge between the physical world and our internal experience of it. It allows us to perceive and interact with our environment.