Sensillum | sense organ | Britannica (original) (raw)
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In insect: Nervous system …a cuticular sense organ (sensillum). The sensilla are usually small hairs modified for perception of specific stimuli (e.g., touch, smell, taste, heat, cold); each sensillum consists of one sense cell and one nerve fibre. Although these small sense organs occur all over the body, they are particularly abundant in… Read More
In chemoreception: Arthropods Taste receptor sensilla of arthropods occur mainly on feeding appendages associated with but located outside the mouth. They often occur in groups. In addition, many arthropods have taste receptors on the legs, especially on the ventral surfaces of the tarsi (feet), where they come into contact with… Read More
In chemoreception: Arthropods …will make contact with a sensillum. In insects the length or complexity of the antennae is a reflection of the numbers of multiporous sensilla. In insects requiring increased sensitivity, the antennae are branched, providing a larger surface area on which more sensilla can be accommodated. The featherlike (plumose) antennae of… Read More
In chemoreception: Phagostimulation …have receptor cells in the sensilla on their mouthparts or tarsi that are specifically sensitive to the sulfur-containing compounds, and this may be common in insects with chemically defined host-plant ranges. These same chemicals may be deterrents for insects that do not feed on these plants, as well as for… Read More
In chemoreception: Specialized chemosensory structures …contained in discrete structures called sensilla that are located on the outside of the body. Each sensillum consists of one or a small number of receptor cells together with accessory cells derived from the epidermis. These accessory cells produce a fluid (analogous to vertebrate mucus) that protects the nerve endings… Read More
sound reception
In insect: Sound Exceedingly sensitive organs called sensilla are concentrated in organs of hearing. These can be found on the bushy antennae of the male mosquito or tympanal organs in the front legs of crickets or in abdominal pits of grasshoppers and many moths. In moths these sensitive organs can perceive the… Read More
In sound reception: Hair sensilla Many specialized structures on the bodies of insects seem to have a sensory function. Among these are hair sensilla, each of which consists of a hair with a base portion containing a nerve supply. Because the hairs have been seen to vibrate in response… Read More
thermoreception
In thermoreception: Thermoreception in invertebrates …a delicate hairlike structure (sensillum) emerging from a ring-shaped wall. The cold sensilla are mechanically protected by large bristles covering the segments of the antenna. At constant temperatures the cold receptor is continuously active. When the receptor is rapidly cooled, its discharge frequency rises steeply and then declines gradually… Read More
