12.1 - Sensory Receptors and Sensation Flashcards
What are sensory receptors?
Sensory receptors are specialized endings of sensory neutrons or other receptor cells that detect sensory information.
Sensation
Occurs when the neural impulses arrive at the cerebral cortex.
Perception
Results from how the cerebral cortex interprets the meaning of sensory information.
Sensory Adaptiom
Receptors become accustomed to continuous stimuli and fire less frequently or not at all.
Types of sensory receptors
Photoreceptors, chemoreceptors, mechanoreceptors, and thermoreceptors.
Photoreceptors
Used for vision, includes rods and cones in the eye. Stimulated by light energy.
Rods
Black and white, more light sensitive than cones.
Cones
Colour vision
Chemoreceptors
Stimulated by certain chemicals
- involved in taste, smell, and internal senses.
Where are Chemoreceptors for taste?
Taste buds on the tongue, activated by food particles.
Where are chemoreceptors located in the nose?
Olfactory cells in the nose, stimulus is odour molecules.
Mechanoreceptors
Respond to mechanical forces or pressure.
- touch, hearing, balance, body position.
Proprioreceptors (body position)
In muscles, tendons, joints.
Stimulated by muscle contraction, stretching, and movement.
Thermorecrptors
Detect heat and cold in the skin
Pain receptors/Nociceptors
Responds to excessive heat, pressure, chemicals.
