Final answer:
Every cell in the body possesses a primary cilium that can serve a sensory function by detecting environmental signals. Sensory receptors, like chemoreceptors, mechanoreceptors, and thermoreceptors, are specialized to various stimuli. Unipolar sensory neurons in ganglia, such as the dorsal root ganglion, are also essential for sensory reception.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nearly every cell in the body possesses a single, non-motile primary cilium that may provide sensory function for a cell. This structure is not involved in cell movement but rather serves a critical role in sensing environmental signals. It is considered an important component in the function of many cell types, participating in crucial processes like signaling pathways that regulate cell growth and development. The primary cilium acts as a cellular antenna, detecting molecular signals from the cell's surrounding environment.
Our body comprises various sensory receptor types, which are specialized nerve cells that respond to different stimuli. These include chemoreceptors, mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, and more, which specifically respond to chemical, mechanical, and temperature changes accordingly. Each receptor type is tuned to particular physiological functions, like olfaction, gustation, and somatosensation, respectively.
Structural receptor types in the nervous system can be a neuron with a free nerve ending, an encapsulated ending, or a specialized receptor cell that correspond to different sensory modalities. Unipolar cells, typically found in ganglia like the dorsal root ganglion, are exclusively sensory neurons and play a crucial role in sensory reception.