Sensory neurons are activated by stimuli with particular qualities. In the case

Question

Sensory neurons are activated by stimuli with particular qualities. In the case of cutaneous mechanoreceptors (the somatosensory cells that detect touch on your skin), they can only be activated if the pressure stimulus occurs on the patch of skin above where the afferent terminals of the cell are located. The borders of the patch of skin that a given cutaneous mechanoreceptor can receive input from define its:

A

coding strategy.

B

labeled line.

C

receptive field.

D

ascending pathway.

E

efferent pathway.

Explanation / Answer

Cutaneous mechanoreceptors are activated by means of pressure of pressure and vibration which are generated by physical interaction. They are all innervated by nerve fibres. The borders of the patch of the skin that a given cutaneous mechanoreceptor can receive input define its receptive field. They have small receptive fields which are accurate and are found in areas near the skin which need instantaneous action. Hence, the correct option is C.

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