OCR GCSE Biology Practice Exam 2026 – Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success

The primary function of a receptor in a control system is to detect changes in the internal or external environment and to pass this information to a control center, typically in the nervous or endocrine systems. Receptors are specialized structures that can sense stimuli such as temperature, light, pressure, and chemical signals. Once they detect a change, they convert that information into a signal that can be understood by the body’s processing centers, which can then initiate appropriate responses to maintain homeostasis or adapt to the environment.

The other functions listed do not accurately represent what receptors do. Initiating a response typically falls to effectors, which carry out actions based on the signals received. Executing actions is the role of effectors as well, as they act upon the information processed by the control center. Storing energy does not relate to the function of receptors; instead, this is a characteristic function of certain cells and tissues in the body, such as adipose tissue.