For example, if a stimulus persists for a long time, the intensity of the sensation diminishes, in a process called adaptation . During adaptation, a receptor may eventually cease firing in response to a sustained stimulus. For example, although we can feel our clothes when we are putting them on, after a while, we no longer notice that they are stimulating our light touch receptors. Similarly, we cease to notice noxious smells during continued exposure. Most sensations are perceived as having a specific source in space, either on the body or outside.
Resolution is defined as the ability to distinguish between two closely spaced points.
The resolution of primary sensory neurons can play an important role in enabling us to determine the exact location of a stimulus. It would be easy to determine precisely where a stimulus is located if each primary sensory neuron had only one receptor associated with it. Information converges from this whole region onto a single cell body. Have a small receptive field. In this case, there is very little convergence, but you have to have lots of DRG cells dedicated to a relatively small area.