Question

Please help. What are the four most common types of touch receptor?

Answer 1

Touch Receptors – structurally more complex than free nerve endings – most are encapsulated
1. Merkel’s disks – superficial nerve endings located at the bottom of the epidermis, detect light touch and superficial pressure
2. Hair follicle receptors – free nerve endings associated with the hair – mechanoreceptors wrapped around the hair follicle within the dermis – detect light touch
3. Meissner’s Corpuscles – located just deep to the epidermis – detect fine discriminative touch (tactile sensation) and light vibration
4. Ruffini’s end organs – located about middermis – detects continuous touch or pressure
5. Kreb’s Corpuscles – detects pressure (lips and tongue)
6. Pancinian Corpuscles – located deep dermis – detects deep pressure and vibration – capsulated mechanoreceptor