Interoceptor

Interoceptor (from the Latin intero - internal and receptor - receiving) is a sensitive nerve ending of an afferent (sensitive) nerve cell that perceives any changes in the internal environment of the body (for example, muscle stretching or changes in blood acidity).

Interoceptors are located in internal organs, blood vessels, muscles and connective tissues. They respond to chemical and mechanical stimuli, informing the central nervous system of changes in homeostasis. Interoceptors include baroreceptors, chemoreceptors, proprioceptors and nociceptors.

Interoceptive signals play an important role in maintaining internal homeostasis, regulating respiration, circulation, digestion and other autonomic functions. Disturbances in the functioning of interoceptors can lead to the development of various diseases.

Interoceptors are sensitive nerve endings of afferent (sensitive) nerve cells that perceive any changes in the internal environment of the body. They are part of the sensory system and play an important role in maintaining homeostasis.

Interoceptors are located in various organs and tissues of the body, such as the heart, lungs, stomach, intestines and kidneys. They respond to changes in blood acidity, body temperature, glucose levels and other important indicators of the internal environment. When these values ​​change, the interoceptors send signals to the brain, which then processes this information and takes appropriate action to maintain homeostasis.

One example of interoception is the feeling of hunger. Interoceptors in the stomach and intestines respond to blood glucose levels and send signals to the brain. The brain interprets these signals and instructs the stomach and intestines to release more enzymes to digest food.

Another example of interoception is the feeling of nausea and vomiting. Interoceptors located in the stomach respond to changes in stomach acidity and send a signal to the brain. The brain recognizes this signal and instructs the body to get rid of the stomach contents through vomiting.

Thus, interoception plays an important role in ensuring homeostasis and maintaining the health of the body. It allows us to sense changes in the internal environment of the body and take appropriate measures to eliminate them.

Interoception is a set of processes that ensure the closest integration of the body’s functions and maintain the dynamic stability of the conditions of its existence. Of particular importance in interoceptive regulation are the mechanisms for maintaining the constancy of visceral systems and homeostasis in general. They are necessary for the body’s adaptation to changing environmental conditions, although their importance increases only when the amount of necessary information is limited, for example, when analyzing a familiar and familiar situation. The interaction between innate primitive mechanisms - orienting reactions that provide adjustment to changed environmental parameters, and the ability to “perceive” a wide range of external and internal changes through special multimodal sensitive receptors is ensured by the coordination of the activity of the cortex and subcortical formations of the diencephalon.