What does a mechanoreceptor respond to?

What does a mechanoreceptor respond to?

• A. Light
• B. Chemical changes
• C. Temperature
• D. Physical stimuli such as pressure and vibration.

Answer: (D)

Mechanoreceptors detect mechanical energy. They respond when tissue is deformed by physical forces—such as pressure, touch, stretch, or vibration—and convert that mechanical energy into neural signals. That’s why options involving light, chemical changes, or temperature don’t fit: light is sensed by photoreceptors, chemical changes by chemoreceptors, and temperature by thermoreceptors.

Mechanoreceptors detect mechanical energy. They respond when tissue is deformed by physical forces—such as pressure, touch, stretch, or vibration—and convert that mechanical energy into neural signals. That’s why options involving light, chemical changes, or temperature don’t fit: light is sensed by photoreceptors, chemical changes by chemoreceptors, and temperature by thermoreceptors.