sensillum
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A sensillum (plural sensilla) is an arthropod sensory organ protruding from the cuticle of exoskeleton, or sometimes lying within or beneath it. Sensilla appear as small hairs or pegs over an individual's body. Inside each sensillum there are two to four sensory neurons. These neurons, or receptors, gather information about environment the arthropod is in:
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Encyclopedic overview
2 sectionsContents
- Chemoreceptors
- References
A sensillum (plural sensilla) is an arthropod sensory organ protruding from the cuticle of exoskeleton, or sometimes lying within or beneath it. Sensilla appear as small hairs or pegs over an individual's body. Inside each sensillum there are two to four sensory neurons. These neurons, or receptors, gather information about environment the arthropod is in: Chemoreceptors (i.e. trichoid, basionic, coeloconic, placodea) Mechanoreceptors (e.g.: bristle sensilla, campaniform sensilla, hair plates, chordotonal neurons) Thermoreceptors Hygroreceptors
Most sensilla are specially shaped according to the type of information they are gathering.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “sensillum” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.