Touch

Question 1

General touch

Answer 1

Our ability to perceive touch, temperature, and pain is mediated by a number of
receptors and free nerve endings that are distributed throughout the skin and various
tissues of the body

Question 2

Mechanoreceptors

Answer 2

respond to mechanical stimuli, such as stroking, stretching, or vibration of the skin

Question 3

Pain receptors

Answer 3

(nociceptors) are specialized sensory receptors that detect harmful stimuli and play a crucial role in the sensation of pain

Question 4

Photoreceptor

Answer 4

light-detecting cell/Internal sense of position, movement, and force

Question 5

Touch receptors

Answer 5

Meissnerʼs corpuscle
responds to pressure and lower frequency vibrations

Ruffini corpuscle
detects stretch

Pacinian corpuscle
detects transient pressure and higher frequency vibrations

Merkelʼs disk
responds to light touch

Question 6

Touch process

Answer 6

Pathway Location:
* Touch signals travel up the dorsal (back) side of
the spinal cord—this is sometimes called the
“dorsal column.”
* Reflex Connections:
* Some touch signals connect with interneurons
and motor neurons in the spinal cord.
* This allows for reflexive responses—for example,
if you touch something hot, your hand pulls away
automatically, even before your brain processes
the sensation