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YES/NO answer about RECEPTORS! (sort of) » Janelle

Posted by fachad on March 25, 2002, at 19:51:27

In reply to YES/NO question about RECEPTORS!, posted by Janelle on March 25, 2002, at 16:18:47

NO. They can only receive chemicals.

But that is misleading because they (receptors) do not exist in the nervous system as isolated pieces. They are connected to a nervous system in an integrated, dynamic, living body.

Think about a thermometer that is a part of a thermostat that is part of a climate control system that is part of your house.

The only thing the thermometer "does" is sense temperature. But it is wired into a thermostat that is connected to a central heat system. So the thermometer, in a strict, literal sense only passively senses temperature.

But if you look at the big picture you might find yourself saying that the thermometer “turned on” the heat. The thermometer does not really turn on the heat, but as a result of the thermometer sensing that the temperature is too low, the thermostat sends a signal which triggers the central heat to be turned on. Conversely, when the temperature is sensed as being too high by the thermometer, it triggers a series of events that result in the heat being shut off.

In the same way receptors "only" passively receive neurotransmitters, which means the strict literal answer to your question is "NO".

But within the nervous system that is within your body, lots of things happen as a consequence of a receptor passively receiving a neurotransmitter. A receptor being activated can transmit a nerve impulse down the chain throughout your body. A receptor being activated can trigger a reaction that releases another neurotransmitter, or inhibits another neurotransmitter, which turns on some receptors, and turns off others. And on and on....


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