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Related Concept Videos

Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair and Hair Follicles01:16

Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair and Hair Follicles

Hair and hair follicles are integral components of the integumentary system. Hair is a filamentous structure composed mainly of a protein called keratin. It is found on the surface of the skin throughout the body, except for areas such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Hair is a keratinous filament growing out of the epidermis. It is primarily made of dead, keratinized cells. Hair strands originate at the epidermal penetration called the hair follicle. The hair shaft is the part...
Sensory Functions of the Skin01:16

Sensory Functions of the Skin

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
Sensation01:21

Sensation

Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of external stimuli, initiating the process known as sensation. This occurs when sensory input, such as light entering the eye, is detected by these receptors, causing chemical changes in the cells of the retina. These cells then convert the sensory stimulus into action potentials that are transmitted to the central nervous system, a process termed transduction.
Absolute thresholds can quantify the sensitivity of sensory...
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair Growth and Types01:20

Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair Growth and Types

Hair growth begins with the production of keratinocytes by the basal cells of the hair bulb. As new cells are deposited at the hair bulb, the hair shaft is pushed through the follicle toward the surface. Keratinization is completed as the cells are pushed to the skin surface to form the shaft of hair that is externally visible. The external hair is completely dead and composed entirely of keratin. Hair can be cut or shaven without damaging the hair structure because the cut is superficial. Most...
Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Combined Recording of Mechanically Stimulated Afferent Output and Nerve Terminal Labelling in Mouse Hair Follicle Lanceolate Endings
13:04

Combined Recording of Mechanically Stimulated Afferent Output and Nerve Terminal Labelling in Mouse Hair Follicle Lanceolate Endings

Published on: May 7, 2016

Hairy sensation.

Stefan G Lechner1, Gary R Lewin

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany. stefan.lechner@mdc-berlin.de

Physiology (Bethesda, Md.)
|May 3, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Skin hairs have sensory functions, detected by three distinct mechanoreceptor types. These receptors identify specific touch information, transmitting it to precise brain areas for somatotopic processing.

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Demonstrating Hairy and Glabrous Skin Innervation in a 3D Pattern Using Multiple Fluorescent Staining and Tissue Clearing Approaches
05:23

Demonstrating Hairy and Glabrous Skin Innervation in a 3D Pattern Using Multiple Fluorescent Staining and Tissue Clearing Approaches

Published on: May 20, 2022

Assessment of Midline Lingual Point-Pressure Somatosensation Using Von Frey Hair Monofilaments
06:31

Assessment of Midline Lingual Point-Pressure Somatosensation Using Von Frey Hair Monofilaments

Published on: February 21, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 11, 2026

Combined Recording of Mechanically Stimulated Afferent Output and Nerve Terminal Labelling in Mouse Hair Follicle Lanceolate Endings
13:04

Combined Recording of Mechanically Stimulated Afferent Output and Nerve Terminal Labelling in Mouse Hair Follicle Lanceolate Endings

Published on: May 7, 2016

Demonstrating Hairy and Glabrous Skin Innervation in a 3D Pattern Using Multiple Fluorescent Staining and Tissue Clearing Approaches
05:23

Demonstrating Hairy and Glabrous Skin Innervation in a 3D Pattern Using Multiple Fluorescent Staining and Tissue Clearing Approaches

Published on: May 20, 2022

Assessment of Midline Lingual Point-Pressure Somatosensation Using Von Frey Hair Monofilaments
06:31

Assessment of Midline Lingual Point-Pressure Somatosensation Using Von Frey Hair Monofilaments

Published on: February 21, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Dermatology
  • Sensory Biology

Background:

  • Skin hairs contribute to thermoregulation and possess significant sensory roles.
  • Mechanoreceptors are specialized nerve endings that detect mechanical stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the types and functions of mechanoreceptor endings innervating skin hairs.
  • To understand how distinct touch information is processed and relayed to the brain.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated the molecular and functional characteristics of mechanoreceptor endings associated with hair follicles.
  • Utilized techniques to trace neural pathways from skin to the central nervous system.

Main Results:

  • Identified three distinct types of mechanoreceptor endings innervating individual skin hairs.
  • Each mechanoreceptor type exhibits unique molecular signatures and responds to specific tactile stimuli.
  • Demonstrated that information from these receptors is transmitted somatotopically to dedicated brain regions.

Conclusions:

  • Skin hair innervation involves a sophisticated system of three mechanoreceptor types.
  • These receptors provide specific touch information, contributing to detailed sensory perception.
  • The somatotopic organization ensures precise localization of tactile input in the brain.