A young child grabs a cactus plant. He feels that it is sharp and pulls back, crying and holding up a pricked finger. This child’s brain has received information from

The cactus spine pricks the child’s finger, causing pain. Nociceptors detect potentially damaging stimuli and send pain information to the brain, so the correct choice is nociceptors. Mechanoreceptors detect touch or pressure, but they are not the receptors most directly associated with the painful injury described.

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