Stretch Receptor (Noun)
Meaning
A receptor in a muscle that responds to stretching of the muscle tissue.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- The stretch receptor in the muscle detected the rapid lengthening of the muscle fibers and sent a signal to the central nervous system.
- Activation of the stretch receptor helped to trigger the muscle spindle reflex, a rapid contraction of the muscle in response to excessive stretching.
- The stretch receptor is embedded in the muscle spindle, a sensory organ found in the belly of skeletal muscles, and plays a key role in proprioception.
- Research has shown that the stretch receptor is highly specialized to detect changes in muscle length, rather than changes in muscle tension or velocity.
- Damage to the stretch receptor can disrupt the muscle's ability to regulate its own movement, leading to clumsy or uncoordinated movements.