Final answer:
Habituation is the process where a receptor becomes so accustomed to stimuli that it stops generating nerve impulses, a form of non-associative learning and sensory adaptation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon described in the question, where a receptor becomes so accustomed to stimuli that it stops generating nerve impulses, is called habituation. In biology, habituation is a simple form of learning in which an organism, after a period of repeated exposure to a stimulus, stops responding to it.
This occurs because the sensory receptors involved no longer relay the continuous stimulus to the central nervous system as an active signal.
This process is different from sensory adaptation, which is the diminished sensitivity to a stimulus as a result of constant exposure. Moreover, habituation is seen across various types of senses as part of sensory transduction, which is the conversion of a stimulus into an electrical signal by the peripheral nervous system.
For example, a person may stop noticing the continuous sound of an air conditioner or a ticking clock after being exposed to it for some time.