Difference Between Exteroceptors and Interoceptors

What are Exteroceptors?

Exteroceptors are sensory receptors that are situated on or close to the body’s surface and are in charge of sensing exterior stimuli like pain, pressure, temperature, and touch. The nervous system receives information from these receptors, which are present in the skin, mucous membranes, and some internal organs, about the environment around the body.Exteroceptors come in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, nociceptors, and photoreceptors. Although thermoreceptors react to changes in temperature, mechanoreceptors react to mechanical stimuli including pressure, touch, and vibration. Photoreceptors are responsible for detecting light and are found in the eyes, while nociceptors are specialized receptors that react to potentially damaging or painful stimuli....

What are Interoceptors?

Sensory receptors called Interoceptors track alterations in the body. They provide data about internal physiological processes including digestion, breathing, and blood pressure to the nervous system from internal organs, blood vessels, and muscles.Interoceptors also referred to as visceral receptors, play a role in maintaining homeostasis, or the body’s constant internal environment. They keep track of many physiological processes and provide data about them to the brain, where it is processed and used to control the body’s internal environment....

Difference Between Exteroceptors and Interoceptors

Characteristic Exteroceptors Interoceptors Location Located on or near the body surface Located deep inside the body Function Identify environmental cues like pressure, temperature, touch, and discomfort Identify physiological functions occurring inside the body, such as breathing, digestion, and blood pressure Location in the body located in several internal organs, the mucous membranes, and the skin. located in muscles, blood arteries, and internal organs Information provided Provide information about the environment surrounding the body Provide information about the body’s internal environment Role in regulation Involved in regulating responses to external stimuli Involved in maintaining homeostasis Examples Mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, nociceptors, and photoreceptors are a few examples. Stretch receptors, baroreceptors, and chemoreceptors are a few examples....

FAQs on Exteroreceptor and Interoreceptor

Q1: What different kinds of exteroceptors exist?...