Exteroception

Exteroception, opposite of interoception, refers to external sensory perception involving the special senses (sensory organs of the eyes, ears, skin, nose, mouth, and the vestibular/balance system). It strongly affects physical and psychological wellbeing. Exteroception is important for any organism to be able to adapt and respond to the external environment. Specialized sensory cells, called exteroceptors, respond to objects and occurrences in the environment, including the five senses and heat, cold, and pain. The brain’s hippocampus aids exteroception and the encoding, storage, and retrieval of long-term (episodic) memory.