Question

What is the function of receptors in our body? Think of situations where receptors do not work properly. What problems are likely to arise?

Answer 1

Receptors are chemical structures based on proteins that receive and relay signals, and they can be integrated into biological systems. These receptors are distributed throughout the body; for instance, the skin contains various types of receptors, including mechanoreceptors and thermoreceptors.

**Functions of receptors: **
→ They sense the external stimuli such as heat or pain.
→ They also trigger an impulse in the sensory neuron which sends message to the spinal cord.
When the receptors are damaged, the external stimuli transferring signals to the brain are not felt.

For example, in the case of damaged receptors, if we accidentally touch any hot object, then our hands might get burnt as damaged receptors cannot perceive the external stimuli of heat and pain.
The result is that the body would not respond to changes in the surroundings.