What do thermoreceptors sense?

What do thermoreceptors sense?

• A. Light
• B. Heat
• C. Sound
• D. Pressure

Answer: (B)

Thermoreceptors detect changes in temperature. They respond to thermal energy and convert that into nerve signals, signaling whether something is warmer or cooler than the skin. There are warm (heat) receptors and cold receptors; some receptors respond to potentially damaging heat as well. That’s why thermoreceptors convey information about heat and temperature in general. Light, sound, and pressure are detected by other sensory systems—photoreceptors for light, auditory/vestibular receptors for sound, and mechanoreceptors for pressure—so those options don’t describe what thermoreceptors sense.

Thermoreceptors detect changes in temperature. They respond to thermal energy and convert that into nerve signals, signaling whether something is warmer or cooler than the skin. There are warm (heat) receptors and cold receptors; some receptors respond to potentially damaging heat as well. That’s why thermoreceptors convey information about heat and temperature in general. Light, sound, and pressure are detected by other sensory systems—photoreceptors for light, auditory/vestibular receptors for sound, and mechanoreceptors for pressure—so those options don’t describe what thermoreceptors sense.