Sensory receptors responsible for sensing distortion in body tissues are called?

• A. Nociceptors
• B. Mechanoreceptors
• C. Thermoreceptors
• D. Chemoreceptors

Answer: (B)

The ability to detect mechanical distortion in tissues comes from mechanoreceptors. These receptors respond to physical forces such as pressure, stretch, bending, and vibration, converting that mechanical energy into electrical signals that travel to the brain. When tissue deforms, mechanically gated ion channels open, creating a receptor potential that can trigger action potentials in the associated sensory neuron. In the skin, different mechanoreceptors handle various aspects: Pacinian corpuscles sense deep pressure and high-frequency vibration, Meissner corpuscles detect light touch, Merkel discs respond to sustained pressure and texture, and Ruffini endings monitor skin stretch. Other receptor types focus on different modalities—nociceptors for pain from potentially damaging stimuli, thermoreceptors for temperature changes, and chemoreceptors for chemical stimuli. So, receptors for sensing distortion in body tissues are mechanoreceptors.