Nociceptors are sensory receptors that detect which of the following?

• A. Taste
• B. Light
• C. Pain
• D. Sound

Answer: (C)

Nociceptors are specialized free nerve endings that respond to potentially damaging stimuli—mechanical, thermal, or chemical—and convert those inputs into signals interpreted as pain. This pain signal protects the organism by prompting withdrawal from harm and triggering protective responses. They are distinct from receptors for other senses: taste receptors in taste buds detect tastants, photoreceptors in the retina detect light, and hair cells in the inner ear detect sound and balance. Because nociceptors are specifically tuned to noxious stimuli, their primary function is to convey pain.