Receptor adaptation occurs when a sensory neuron stops sending impulses even though the original stimulus is still present. Provide several examples of receptors that adapt readily and others that adapt very slowly, if at all

Question

Explain the survival advantage in each of these situations.

Answer 1

Some receptors, such as touch, light pressure, and olfactory (smell) receptors, adapt quite readily. This prevents constant bombardment of the central nervous system with information that is not necessarily critical. Such information might include the sensation of clothing on the body, which an individual is unaware of shortly after getting dressed. These receptors alert the central nervous system if the stimuli to which they have adapted change in any way. Other receptors such as pain receptors and silent receptors that monitor posture, body position, and internal body chemistry do not adapt and continue to keep the central nervous system informed. This is advantageous to survival because pain receptors alert the individual to potential tissue damage and prompt a response to take appropriate action. Silent receptors that monitor internal chemistry are necessary for the maintenance of homeostasis.