Table 12-1. Major Receptor Types of Vertebrates and their Functions

Chemical receptorsOlfactory cells (smell)Taste buds (taste)

Mechanical, temperature and electrical receptorsCutaneous receptors

Free nerve endings (pain, temperature and other modalities)Meissner’s corpuscles (touch and pressure)Merkel’s disks (touch and pressure)Pacinian corpuscles (touch and pressure)Ruffini endings (touch and pressure)Eimer’s organs (touch and pressure)Sinus hairs (= whiskers; touch and pressure)

ProprioreceptorsTendon and joint receptors (tension)Muscle spindles (degree and rate of contraction)

Lateral line, ear and electroreceptorsHair cells (vibrations and gravity)Ampullary organ cells (electric fields)Tuberous organ cells (electric fields)

Photoreceptors and specialized thermoreceptorsRod and cone cells (visible electromagnetic radiation)Pit organ cells (infrared electromagnetic radiation)

Fig. 12.1

Fig. 12.2

Fig. 12.3

Fig. 12.4

Fig. 12.5

Table 12-1. Major Receptor Types of Vertebrates and their Functions

Chemical receptorsOlfactory cells (smell)Taste buds (taste)

Mechanical, temperature and electrical receptorsCutaneous receptors

Free nerve endings (pain, temperature and other modalities)Meissner’s corpuscles (touch and pressure)Merkel’s disks (touch and pressure)Pacinian corpuscles (touch and pressure)Ruffini endings (touch and pressure)Eimer’s organs (touch and pressure)Sinus hairs (= whiskers; touch and pressure)

ProprioreceptorsTendon and joint receptors (tension)Muscle spindles (degree and rate of contraction)

Lateral line, ear and electroreceptorsHair cells (vibrations and gravity)Ampullary organ cells (electric fields)Tuberous organ cells (electric fields)

Photoreceptors and specialized thermoreceptorsRod and cone cells (visible electromagnetic radiation)Pit organ cells (infrared electromagnetic radiation)

Fig. 12.6

Fig. 12.7

Table 12-1. Major Receptor Types of Vertebrates and their Functions

Chemical receptorsOlfactory cells (smell)Taste buds (taste)

Mechanical, temperature and electrical receptorsCutaneous receptors

Free nerve endings (pain, temperature and other modalities)Meissner’s corpuscles (touch and pressure)Merkel’s disks (touch and pressure)Pacinian corpuscles (touch and pressure)Ruffini endings (touch and pressure)Eimer’s organs (touch and pressure)Sinus hairs (= whiskers; touch and pressure)

ProprioreceptorsTendon and joint receptors (tension)Muscle spindles (degree and rate of contraction)

Lateral line, ear and electroreceptorsHair cells (vibrations and gravity)Ampullary organ cells (electric fields)Tuberous organ cells (electric fields)

Photoreceptors and specialized thermoreceptorsRod and cone cells (visible electromagnetic radiation)Pit organ cells (infrared electromagnetic radiation)

Fig. 12.8

Fig. 12.9

Table 12.2. Comparison of Chondrichthyan Neuromasts and Electroreceptors

Neuromasts Electroreceptors

Distribution of receptors head, trunk, & tail head

Receptor cell specializations hair cell (kinocilium &series of stereocilia)

modified hair cell (cilium;no stereocilia)

Innervation anterior lateral line nerve(ventral root)

posterior lateral line nerve

anterior lateral line nerve(dorsal root)

Peripheral termination afferent & efferent afferent only

Central termination posterior lateral line lobe anterior lateral line lobe

Function mechanoreception passive electroreception

Stimulus water movements (pressuredisplacements)

DC and low frequency AC

Role orientation and coordinationof swimming movements

electrolocation

Modified from a table in Boord and Campbell (1977)

Fig. 12.10

Fig. 12.11

Fig. 12.12

Fig. 12.13

Fig. 12.14

Fig. 12.15

Fig. 12.16

Fig. 12.17

Fig. 12.18

Fig. 12.19

Fig. 12.20

Fig. 12.21

Fig. 12.22

Table 12-1. Major Receptor Types of Vertebrates and their Functions

Chemical receptorsOlfactory cells (smell)Taste buds (taste)

Mechanical, temperature and electrical receptorsCutaneous receptors

Free nerve endings (pain, temperature and other modalities)Meissner’s corpuscles (touch and pressure)Merkel’s disks (touch and pressure)Pacinian corpuscles (touch and pressure)Ruffini endings (touch and pressure)Eimer’s organs (touch and pressure)Sinus hairs (= whiskers; touch and pressure)

ProprioreceptorsTendon and joint receptors (tension)Muscle spindles (degree and rate of contraction)

Lateral line, ear and electroreceptorsHair cells (vibrations and gravity)Ampullary organ cells (electric fields)Tuberous organ cells (electric fields)

Photoreceptors and specialized thermoreceptorsRod and cone cells (visible electromagnetic radiation)Pit organ cells (infrared electromagnetic radiation)

Fig. 12.23

Fig. 12.24

Fig. 12.25

Fig. 12.26

Fig. 12.27

Fig. 12.28

Fig. 12.29

Fig. 12.30

Fig. 12.31