Final answer:
The process by which cells identify and respond to stimuli is called transduction, involving sensory receptors and neurons that initiate a cellular response through signal transduction pathways. Reception marks the activation of receptors by stimuli, followed by transduction which converts the signal into a response.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cellular Response to Stimuli
The process cells use to identify a stimulus is called transduction. In sensory transduction, there are two primary systems. One involves a neuron and a sensory receptor, which detects specific stimuli and stimulates the associated afferent neuron, carrying information to the central nervous system. In the second system, the sensory nerve endings themselves act as receptors, responding to stimuli in the internal or external environment with free nerve endings capable of responding to multiple stimuli, showing little receptor specificity.
During reception, sensory receptors are activated by various stimuli such as mechanical force, chemicals, or temperature changes. The receptive field of a receptor is the area in which it can respond to stimuli, which varies among the senses like touch, hearing, and vision. After reception, transduction converts this information into a cellular response through signal transduction pathways. Cells then respond appropriately, which can be seen in behaviors like the chemotaxis of unicellular organisms or phototropism in plants.
Understanding the key elements of these signal transduction pathways highlights their role in how a cell processes environmental information and initiates a cellular response, which is evidenced in a model expressing these key elements. Changes in these pathways can result in altered cellular responses, emphasizing the importance of precise cellular communication for proper function and response to changes in the environment.