Interoceptor (Noun)
Meaning
Any receptor that responds to stimuli inside the body.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- The baroreceptors in the walls of the aorta and carotid sinuses are interoceptors that help regulate blood pressure.
- Interoceptors in the gut detect the presence of food and alert the brain to initiate the digestive process.
- Stretch receptors in the lungs are interoceptors that help regulate breathing rates during exercise.
- Nociceptors are a type of interoceptor that respond to painful stimuli within the body, such as tissue damage or inflammation.
- Chemoreceptors in the aorta and carotid bodies are interoceptors that detect changes in blood pH and carbon dioxide levels.