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Mechanosensitive ion channels are found in many cell types and it has been shown that the permeability of these channels to cations is affected by stretch receptors and mechanical stimuli. [11] This permeability of ion channels is the basis for the conversion of the mechanical stimulus into an electrical signal.
Mechanosensation is the transduction of mechanical stimuli into neural signals. Mechanosensation provides the basis for the senses of light touch, hearing, proprioception , and pain. Mechanoreceptors found in the skin, called cutaneous mechanoreceptors, are responsible for the sense of touch.
A mechanoreceptor, also called mechanoceptor, is a sensory receptor that responds to mechanical pressure or distortion. Mechanoreceptors are located on sensory neurons that convert mechanical pressure into electrical signals that, in animals, are sent to the central nervous system.
Stretch-activated ion channels are required for the initial formation of an action potential from a mechanical stimulus, for example by the mechanoreceptors in vibrissae (whiskers) of some animals such as rodents. Afferent nerve fibers responsible for sensory stimulus detection and feedback are especially sensitive to stimulation.
Typically the mechanical stimulus gets filtered in the conveying medium before reaching the site of mechanotransduction. [11] Cellular responses to mechanotransduction are variable and give rise to a variety of changes and sensations. Broader issues involved include molecular biomechanics.
Mechanoreceptors detect mechanical stimulus originating from within the plant (intrinsic) and from the surrounding environment (extrinsic). [2] The ability to sense vibrations, touch, or other disturbance is an adaptive response to herbivory and attack so that the plant can appropriately defend itself against harm. [ 3 ]
Mechanical, chemical, or thermal stimuli beyond a set threshold will elicit painful sensations. Stressed or damaged tissues release chemicals that activate receptor proteins in the nociceptors. For example, the sensation of heat associated with spicy foods involves capsaicin , the active molecule in hot peppers.
Thigmomorphogenesis (from Ancient Greek θιγγάνω (thingánō) to touch, μορφή (morphê) shape, and γένεσις (génesis) creation) the phenomenon by which plants alter their growth and development in response to mechanical stimuli, exemplifies their remarkable adaptability to fluctuating environmental conditions.