Insects and vertebrates have analogous proprioceptors that monitor muscle length and tension, joint positions, limb forces, and so on. Insects, however, do not have statocysts to monitor the direction of gravitational force. How could an insect detect gravity when at rest? What could be the possible adaptive advantage of the absence of statocysts for a flying insect?
Anatomy and Physiology of Special Sensory Organs
Sensory organs can be labeled as special sensory structures that permit sight, hearing, odor, and flavor. Sensory structures permitting proprioception, touch, thermal, and pain perception can be classified as more advanced sensory organs. The sensory neurons are trained to find out modifications in the external and internal conditions so that a person's body can react to that change. A stimulus is the first signal that is recognized by any sensory receptor of the body. Stimulus is an impulse generated when there is a change in the surroundings of a person. For example, a heated environment will alert the brain through the thermal sensory organs and generate a reflex accordingly.
Sensory Receptors
The human sensory system is one of the most complex and highly evolved structures, which processes a myriad of incoming messages. This well-coordinated system helps an organism or individual to respond to external stimuli, appropriately. The sensory receptors are an important part of the sensory system. These receptors are specialized epidermal cells that respond to external environmental stimuli. These receptors consist of structural and support cells that form the peripheral unit of the receptor and the neural dendrites which receive and detect the external stimuli.
Insects and vertebrates have analogous proprioceptors that
monitor muscle length and tension, joint positions, limb forces,
and so on. Insects, however, do not have statocysts to monitor
the direction of gravitational force. How could an insect detect
gravity when at rest? What could be the possible adaptive
advantage of the absence of statocysts for a flying insect?
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