Which statement best describes the receptors involved in this sense?

• A. They include receptors for pain, temperature, and pressure
• B. They detect only light intensity
• C. They detect chemical odors
• D. They detect sound vibrations

Answer: (A)

Receptors for this sense are specialized to detect a range of physical stimuli, including mechanical, thermal, and nociceptive signals. Mechanoreceptors respond to touch and pressure, thermoreceptors to temperature changes, and nociceptors to potentially harmful stimuli or pain. This mix lets you sense texture, pressure, heat or cold, and injury risk. The statement that these receptors include pain, temperature, and pressure best describes the receptors involved in this sense, because it covers the main modalities of somatic sensation. Other options describe receptors tied to other senses: light intensity by photoreceptors in the eye, chemical odors by olfactory receptors, and sound by hair cells in the ear.