Final answer:
Nociceptors are the receptors that adapt most slowly, as they send signals to the brain in response to potential tissue damage and maintain their response to ensure awareness of the pain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The receptors that adapt most slowly are the nociceptors. Nociceptors are sensory neurons that respond to potentially damaging stimuli by sending signals to the spinal cord and brain. They are slow to adjust to a stimulus and are responsible for the sensation of pain, which serves as a warning for tissue damage. Unlike other mechanoreceptors that rapidly adapt, such as Meissner's corpuscles or Pacinian corpuscles, nociceptors maintain their response to a stimulus, which is important for alerting the body to continuous damage. This property is advantageous for survival, as it ensures that we are conscious of pain for a sufficient period to take action against harmful stimuli.