Which of the following describes cognition?

Cognition encompasses a broad range of mental processes that are fundamental to how we think and interact with the world. This includes activities such as thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating, which are all integral components of cognitive function. Understanding cognition in this comprehensive way allows us to appreciate the complexity of the human mind and how it processes information, formulates thoughts, solves problems, and engages in communication.

The other options focus on narrower aspects of cognition. For instance, while the ability to receive sensory stimuli pertains to basic sensory processing, it does not cover the higher-level thinking and reasoning aspects of cognition. Recognizing meaningful sensory objects is part of perception, which is a crucial but limited component of cognition. Similarly, interpreting and organizing sensory information is relevant to how we process and understand experiences, but it does not fully encapsulate the entire range of mental activities categorized under cognition. Thus, the complete definition captured in the correct answer reflects the various mental operations involved in cognition.