Name the three primary sensory systems used for postural control and the main input each provides.

• A. Vestibular provides head motion and gravity/orientation relative to the body; Vision provides environmental orientation and motion cues; Somatosensation/proprioception provides body segment position and movement information.
• B. Vision provides proprioceptive info; Somatosensation provides visual cues; Vestibular provides auditory cues.
• C. Vision provides gravity sensation; Somatosensation provides a mix; Vestibular provides orientation about time.
• D. Vision provides muscle strength; Somatosensation provides color vision; Vestibular provides temperature.

Answer: (B)

Postural control relies on three main sensory channels: vestibular, vision, and somatosensation (proprioception). The vestibular system detects head motion and gravity, giving you a sense of orientation in space. Vision provides environmental reference by signaling orientation and motion of the surrounding world through optic flow. Somatosensation or proprioception supplies information about the position and movement of your body parts—where your limbs are and how they’re moving.

This is why the best description assigns vestibular input to head motion and gravity/orientation, vision to environmental orientation and motion cues, and somatosensation to body segment position and movement. The other descriptions mix up these roles (for example, vision as proprioception, or somatosensation as visual cues, or vestibular signaling sounds like auditory input).