Describe how receptors in the skin function.

Receptors in the skin detect changes in the environment, so called stimuli. These could include a change in temperature or sensation, such as increased pressure, being touched somewhere or experiencing pain. Different receptor types respond to and are sensitive to particular kinds of stimulus. Once the environmental stimulus has been detected, the receptors are stimulated and convert the information into electrical impulses. These are sent as signals along the nerve cells, neurones, to the brain where a response is organised.