Final answer:
A receptor potential is the change in membrane potential in a sensory receptor cell in response to a stimulus, and is vital for converting environmental information into nervous system signals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that refers to a local, stimulus-induced change in the membrane potential of a receptor cell is receptor potential.
Sensory receptors are specialized cells that detect environmental stimuli and convert them into electrical signals in the nervous system, a process known as transduction. A receptor potential is a type of graded potential that occurs when a sensory receptor is activated by a stimulus, resulting in a change in the membrane potential of the receptor cell. This potential varies with the strength of the stimulus and can lead to an action potential if it reaches a certain threshold. It is essential for the initiation of sensory perception, allowing our nervous system to receive and process sensory information from the environment.
Each type of sensory receptor (mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, photoreceptors, etc.) is tuned to a particular kind of stimulus. When the correct stimulus is presented, it triggers physical or chemical changes in the receptor cell that result in the opening or closing of ion channels. This alters the membrane potential and creates the receptor potential, which is the first step in sensory information processing.