Receptor Cells

Tonic receptors: fire continuously throughout stimulation, with increasing frequency at higher stimulus intensity (proportional transducers).

Phasic receptors: are often active only during the onset or offset of a stimulus, they are most sensitive for changes in stimulus intensity.

Phasic-tonic : initially onset/offset, later proportional response. Very abundant type of receptor cell.

left: tonic
right: phasic

Detection threshold: properties of cell structures or a certain transduction molecule
Amplification: chemical reaction cascades involving second messengers like cAMP
Spontaneous activity: very weak stimuli are sufficient to enhance the response, no threshold

Source

Created: 25-07-24 10:00