Mechanoreceptors of Glabrous Skin
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Glossary
- Fast-Adapting
- Responds quickly to changes in stimulus but stops firing if the stimulus remains constant.
- Slow-Adapting
- Continues to respond throughout the duration of a sustained stimulus.
- Receptive Field
- The area of skin over which a stimulus can activate a specific receptor.
- Innervation Density
- The number of nerve endings per area of skin; higher density allows finer tactile discrimination.
- End Organ
- The anatomical structure at the nerve ending that determines receptor function.
- Stimulus and Response
- The type of mechanical input the receptor detects, such as vibration, pressure, or stretch.
- Skin Depth
- The vertical location of the receptor in skin layers: superficial (epidermis/dermis) or deep (hypodermis).
- Type I Receptor
- Receptors with small receptive fields and high spatial resolution (e.g., Merkel and Meissner).
- Type II Receptor
- Receptors with larger receptive fields and lower spatial resolution (e.g., Ruffini and Pacinian).