Physiology Ch. 10 Sensory Systems/Eye/Ear

Sensory receptors

transduce different forms of energy into nerve impulses

Sensory transduction

process by which sensory receptors transduce light energy, sound energy, and airborne chemicals into APs that are sent to the brain

Exteroreceptors

-detect stimuli from the external environment like touch, pain, temperature

Interoreceptors

-detect stimuli within the body like blood pressure, blood glucose, etc

Proprioceptors

-sensory receptors located within the muscles and joints that sense the body’s position and movements

Types of sensory receptors

-chemoreceptors

-thermoreceptors

-photoreceptors

-mechanoreceptors

-nociceptors

Free nerve endings

merkel disks (slow adapting)

Encapsulated nerve endings (rapid adapting)

-meissner corpuscles

-pacinian corpuscles

Encapsulated nerve endings (slow adapting)

-ruffini endings

Phasic receptors

respond quickly when a stimulus is applied but quickly adapt by decreasing response if the stimulus remains constant

Ex: smell, touch, temp

Tonic receptors

maintain a continuous firing rate as long as the stimulus is applied

Ex: pain