1. Environmental Stimulus: The source of information in the surrounding environment.

2. Sense Organ: The specialized organ that receives the stimulus. Each sense organ is specific to a certain type of stimulus, such as eyes for light, ears for sound, nose for smell, tongue for taste, and skin for touch.

3. Sensory Receptor: Specialized cells within the sense organ that detect the stimulus and transform it into an electrochemical signal.

4. Sensory Transduction: The process of converting the physical stimulus into an electrical signal that the nervous system can understand.

5. Sensory Neuron: The nerve cell that carries the electrical signal from the sensory receptor to the central nervous system (CNS).

6. Spinal Cord (or Cranial Nerves): The sensory neuron transmits the signal through the spinal cord or cranial nerves to the appropriate area of the CNS, such as the brainstem or the cerebral cortex.

7. Thalamus (Relay Station): In most cases, sensory information is relayed through the thalamus, a brain structure that acts as a sensory processing hub. The thalamus helps in directing sensory information to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex.

8. Cerebral Cortex (Primary Sensory Area): The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of the brain, and it contains specialized regions known as primary sensory areas. For example, the primary visual cortex is responsible for processing visual information, the primary auditory cortex processes sound, the somatosensory cortex handles touch sensations, and so on.

9. Association Cortex: After initial processing in the primary sensory areas, the information is sent to the association cortex. This is where more complex processing and integration of sensory information occur, allowing us to perceive and interpret the world around us.

This pathway from stimulus detection to sensory processing allows the brain to receive, interpret, and respond to various signals from the environment.