Life Sciences Glossary: Types of Receptors and Tango Receptors or Mechanoreceptors

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Types of Receptors

General Senses

  • Touch: Tango receptors (Thermoreceptors)
  • Temperature: Thermo receptors
  • Heat: Cal receptors
  • Cold: Frigid receptors
  • Pain: Algesireceptors (Nociceptors)
  • Currents of water: Chemoreceptors
  • Electric current: Glavanoreceptors
  • Gravity: Georeceptors
  • Muscle position: Proprioceptors
  • Equilibrium: Stat receptors
  • Hunger, thirst, etc. : Interceptors
  • Blood pressure: Baroreceptors
  • Osmotic pressure: Osmoreceptors
  • Chemical changes: Chemoreceptors
  • Vibrations: Vibroreceptors

Special Sense

  • Vision Photoreceptors
  • Hearing Photoreceptors
  • Smell of act receptors
  • Taste Gusstaoreceptors

Sense organs are also called receptors. Receptors respond to stimuli (external and internal) . Most sensory cells or receptors respond to changes in energy. Before environmental information can be transmitted to brain, it must always be transduced. Receptors of vision, hearing and smell receive stimuli from a distance, hence called ‘teloreceptors’ . Tactile receptors in mammals are maximum on the face.

Tango Receptors or Mechanoreceptors

  • Merkel՚s discs (corpuscles) : Epidermis of non- harry (glabrous) skin, shallow cup- shaped discs.
  • Meissen՚s corpuscles: Dermis of skin of the fingertip, lips and nipples. Sense of touch and gentle Pressure.
  • Parisian corpuscles: Present in subcutaneous tissue of palm, soles of fingers, etc. , stimulated by pressure contact.
  • Corpuscles of Golgi: Subcutaneous tissue of fingers.
  • Corpuscles of Mazzini: Subcutaneous tissue of fingers.
  • Granary՚s corpuscles: Beak of birds.
  • Herbs corpuscles: Mouth- parts of birds.
  • Free nerve endings: Present on skin, perceive the sensation of touch, pressure and pain.

Thermo Receptors

  • Ampulla of Lorenzini: Scoliodon (Fishes)
  • Organ of Ruffing: Cal receptor- Heat.
  • End bulb of Krause: Frigid receptor – Cold.

Currents of Water

Lateral line sense organs in fishes and amphibian tadpoles detect the water current, so they are called as ‘rheoreceptors’ .