Final answer:
The term 'adequate stimulus' refers to the specific form of energy a receptor is most sensitive to, while 'sensory transduction' describes the process of converting a sensory stimulus into an electrical signal in the nervous system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The form of energy to which a receptor is most sensitive is called adequate stimulus. When stimulated, the sensory receptor responds by initiating the process called sensory transduction. Sensory receptors are specialized cells or structures that detect various types of stimuli. For example, mechanoreceptors in the skin are stimulated by mechanical stimuli like pressure, causing gated ion channels to open, resulting in a change in the cell's electrical potential, known as the receptor potential. If this potential reaches a threshold, an action potential is triggered, sending information to the central nervous system. Reception is the activation of sensory receptors by stimuli such as mechanical pressure, chemicals, or temperature. The receptive field of a receptor is the region in which it can respond to a stimulus. Transduction is the conversion of a sensory stimulus to an electrical signal in the nervous system, a crucial step in the sensory perception process.