There are various types of mechanoreceptors (receptors concerned with touch). In the hairy skin, the hair follicle receptor is the main mechanoreceptor. In addition, the hairy skin contains fibers that respond well to slow stroking with a soft brush, and stimulation of these fibers results in an experience of pleasant touch. The non-hairy skin contains four main types of mechanoreceptors, which can be divided into two functional groups. The first group contains fast adapting mechanoreceptors, which respond only at onset, and frequently at the end, of a touch, but not in between. The second group consists of slowly adapting mechanoreceptors, which respond slowly to the onset of a touch, but continue to respond during the middle. The density of mechanoreceptors varies in different parts of the body. Within the hand, the highest density of receptors is found in the fingertips. The higher the density of mechanoreceptors, the smaller the distance between two touches that can be distinguished.

License information: CC BY 4.0
MPAA: G
Go to source: https://kids.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frym.2013.00011