18.1 Receptors

• • Each receptor has a specific sensitivity. This specificity results from the anatomy of the receptor or from the presence of accessory cells or structures that minimize its exposure to other stimuli. 
• The simplest receptors in the human body are the dendrites of sensory neurons, called free nerve endings 
• Characteristic receptor sensitivity is termed receptor specificity 
• The area monitored by single receptor cell is its receptive field 
• Ability to localize a stimulus depends on the size of the receptive field: The larger the receptive field, the harder it is to localize the stimulus
• Regardless of the nature of the stimulus, sensory info is sent to the CNS as action potential