Receptors of Effectors

Dr. Dennis Ivan Bravo

What are efferent receptors?

Nerve endings or specialized cells

Tansduce external or internal stimuli into afferent

nerve impulse

Impulsed carried into CNS

How are efferent receptors

classified?

Functional classification

Exteroreceptors

Propioreceptors

Interoreceptors

How are efferent receptors

classified?

Morphologic classification

Simple- free, unbranched nerve endings

Compound- receptors which involve organization

of non-neuronal tissue

General sensory receptors

Simple: unencapsulated receptors: free nerve endings

mechanoreceptors
thermoreceptors
nociceptors
mixed-mode receptors

Compound: encapsulated receptors: tissue-associated nerve

endings
Pacinian corpuscles
Meissner's corpuscles
Merkel cells
proprioceptors

Unencapsulated receptors: free nerve

endings in skin, joints, viscera, oral cavity

Mechanoreceptors: stretch,
displacement, pressure

Thermoreceptors: hot , cold

Chemoreceptors: acids,
bases, salts, organics

Nociceptors: strong stimuli,

could damage tissue (may be
any modality)

Mixed-mode receptors

Unencapsulated receptors: free nerve

endings in skin, joints, viscera, oral cavity

Unencapsulated receptors: free nerve

endings in skin, joints, viscera, oral cavity

Unencapsulated receptors: free nerve

endings in skin, joints, viscera, oral cavity

Unencapsulated receptors: free nerve

endings in skin, joints, viscera, oral cavity

Unencapsulated receptors: free nerve

endings in skin, joints, viscera, oral cavity

General sensory receptors

Simple: unencapsulated receptors: free nerve endings

mechanoreceptors
thermoreceptors
nociceptors
mixed-mode receptors

Compound: encapsulated receptors: tissue-associated nerve

endings
Pacinian corpuscles
Meissner's corpuscles
Merkel cells
proprioceptors

Encapsulated receptors: tissueassociated nerve endings

Pacinian (lamellated) corpuscles

in deep dermis, hypodermis,
viscera, joint capsules: pressure

Meissner's (tactile) corpuscles

in dermal papillae near
epidermis: light touch, vibration

Merkel cells (tactile disks)

in epidermis basal layer: fine
touch

Proprioceptors
in joints, tendons, muscles:
stretch, tension, joint angle

Pacinian corpuscle

Pacinian corpuscle

Pacinian corpuscle

Pacinian corpuscle

Pacinian corpuscle

Pacinian corpuscle

Meissners corpuscle

Meissners corpuscle

Meissners corpuscle

Meissners corpuscle

Meissners corpuscle

Meissners corpuscle

Pacinian versus Meissners

corpuscle

Merkels cells/ Tactile disks

Sensory receptor cells

Epidermal cells localised in the basal layer of the epidermis
and the epithelial sheath of hair follicles.
Intimately associated with a nerve terminal (some are not).
Most sensitive touch receptors
For tactile two-point discrimination and for detection of
shapes, curvature and textures.

Merkels cells/ Tactile disks

Merkels cells/ Tactile disks

Merkels cells/ Tactile disks

Sensory receptor cells

Epidermal cells localised in the basal layer of the epidermis
and the epithelial sheath of hair follicles.
Intimately associated with a nerve terminal (some are not).
Most sensitive touch receptors
For tactile two-point discrimination and for detection of
shapes, curvature and textures.

Merkels cells/ Tactile disks

Merkels cells/ Tactile disks

Propioceptors

Proprioception means "sense of self

Sensors that provide information

about joint angle, muscle length,
and muscle tension

Muscle spindle provides

information about changes in
muscle length

Golgi tendon organ provides

information about changes in
muscle tension.

Propioceptors

Muscle spindle

Enclosed within a capsule and found throughout

body of a muscle

In parallel with extrafusal fibers (typical muscle

fibers).

Specialized muscle fibers known as intrafusal fibers

Intrafusal fibers have contractile proteins (thick and

thin filaments) at either end

Central region devoid of contractile proteins

Central region is wrapped by the sensory dendrites

Stretching opens mechanically-gated ion channels

in sensory dendrites

Muscle spindle

Intrafusal fibers are innervated by gamma motor neuron (MN)- to maintain muscle spindle sensitivity,
regardless of muscle length. When the extrafusal fibers have been stimulated to contract by alpha MN
activation, the gamma MN is simultaneously excited. This is known as alpha-gamma coactivation.

Muscle spindle

Golgi tendon organ

In series with muscle fibers, located

in the tendons

Sensory dendrites are interwoven

with collagen fibrils in the tendon

When collagen fibrils are pulled

tight, and this activates the Golgi
tendon organ afferent

Golgi tendon organ

Muscle spindle versus Golgi

tendon organ

Summary
SIMPLE
Unencapsulated
free nerve
endings

Mechanoreceptors

Thermoreceptors

Nocireceptors

Compound

Pacinian

Pressure

Meissners

Light touch

Merkels

Propioceptors

Fine touch

Muscle spindlemuscle length

Golgi tendonmuscle tension