PHYSICAL MECHANISMS OF VISION AND HEARING RECEPTORS
Abstract
This research paper explores the physical mechanisms of vision and hearing receptors, emphasizing the bioelectrical, photochemical, and mechanical transduction processes that underlie human sensory perception. The study was conducted at the Department of Biophysics, Tashkent State Medical University, with the participation of ten students under the supervision of academic staff. The experimental stage involved measuring and analyzing the functional responses of visual and auditory receptors to controlled light and sound stimuli.The human visual system operates through phototransduction, where photons of light are absorbed by photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) in the retina, initiating a cascade of biochemical reactions that convert light energy into electrical signals. These signals are processed through the optic nerve and visual cortex to form perception. The physical basis of this process includes quantum absorption of photons, rhodopsin conformational change, and the generation of a receptor potential that reflects the sensitivity of the retina to varying light intensities.
Similarly, the auditory system functions through mechanotransduction — the conversion of mechanical sound vibrations into electrical impulses within the cochlea. Hair cells located in the organ of Corti bend in response to sound-induced movement of the basilar membrane, opening ion channels that produce an electrical potential proportional to the sound amplitude and frequency. The study analyzed the frequency–response characteristics of hair cells and observed age-dependent variations in receptor sensitivity.
The results revealed that both vision and hearing receptors share a fundamental bioelectrical mechanism — transformation of physical energy (light or sound) into neural signals. However, their sensitivity, adaptation speed, and threshold levels differ depending on structural specialization and environmental conditions. The research also identified a correlation between receptor fatigue and prolonged stimulus exposure, suggesting that energy conversion efficiency decreases with receptor overstimulation.
Based on the findings, we propose an integrative bio-physical model describing how photonic and acoustic stimuli are converted into action potentials, highlighting their shared quantum-mechanical and ion-channel dynamics. These insights are of practical significance for the development of bioengineering devices, such as visual prostheses and cochlear implants, that replicate natural sensory transduction mechanisms.
Keywords
Vision receptors, hearing receptors, phototransduction, mechanotransduction, receptor potential, bioelectric signaling, rhodopsin, cochlear hair cells, sensory biophysics, neural transduction, photochemical processes, auditory physiology, sensory adaptation, quantum absorption, bioengineering applications.
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