Final answer:
The sense of smell is the result of metabotropic transduction as it involves chemoreceptors in the nose bonding with odor molecules, which is distinct from the mechanoreceptor-based transduction used for touch and balance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sense of smell is a result of metabotropic transduction.
Metabotropic transduction involves the conversion of a chemical stimulus into an electrical signal in the nervous system. This specific transduction mechanism is characteristic of chemoreceptors, which interpret chemical stimuli such as objects' taste or smell. Given that smell is a chemical sense, where receptors in the nose bind directly with odor molecules to transmit information to the brain for processing, it fits the criteria of being a result of metabotropic transduction.
In comparison, touch and balance rely mostly on mechanoreceptors. For example, balance is managed through responses in the hair cells of the utricle, saccule, and semi-circular canals to changes in head position and gravity, which is a mechanical form of sensory transduction.