Final answer:
The term 'receptive field' refers to the specific region in space where a sensory receptor can respond to a stimulus. The size of the receptive field affects the sensitivity of the receptor and varies with the receptor type and location on the body.
Step-by-step explanation:
The receptive field of a sensory receptor may be irregular in shape and overlap with those of neighboring receptors. The size of this area determines the sensitivity to a stimulus. Sensory receptors for different senses vary and are specialized according to the type of stimulus they sense, having receptor specificity. Areas of the cortex that process signals from skin with fewer sensory receptors are likely to be smaller than those having large numbers of sensory receptors. Understanding the receptive field is crucial for grasping how sensory systems function, including the translation of a sensory signal to an electrical signal in the nervous system.
For example, neither gustatory receptors nor auditory receptors are sensitive to light. Each sensory receptor is responsive to stimuli within a specific region in space, which is known as that receptor's receptive field. The most fundamental function of a sensory system is the translation of a sensory signal to an electrical signal in the nervous system.