Final answer:
Sensory receptors are cells that respond to environmental stimuli within a specific region called a receptive field and convert these stimuli into electrical signals for the nervous system to process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Each sensory receptor cell receives information from its receptive field, which is the specific region in space where the receptor can respond to a stimulus. Sensory receptors are specialized for the type of stimulus they detect, such as light, sound, or temperature, and are part of the peripheral nervous system. Their primary function is to translate sensory signals into electrical signals that can be processed by the nervous system. For instance, photoreceptors are specialized receptor cells in the eyes that respond to light.