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Related Concept Videos

Sensory Functions of the Skin01:16

Sensory Functions of the Skin

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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.
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Somatosensation01:33

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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.
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Accessory Structures of the Skin: Nails01:05

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Nails are one of the important accessory structures of the skin. They are hard, protective structures that cover the dorsal surface of the distal phalanges of fingers and toes. Nails are composed of specialized keratinized cells and serve various functions, including protection, sensation, and manual dexterity.
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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.
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Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive...
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The surface of the tongue is covered with various small bumps called papillae, which either distribute what has been ingested (filiform papillae) or contain the sensory taste (or gustatory) receptor cells (fungiform, circumvallate, and foliate papillae). Embedded within each taste-related papilla are the taste buds—clusters of 30 to 100 gustatory receptor cells.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 2026

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS
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Tactile sensibility on the fingernail.

Benjamin Zhi Qiang Seah1, Clement Chun Ho Wu, Sandeep Jacob Sebastin

  • 1Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery, National University Hospital, Singapore.

The Journal of Hand Surgery
|November 12, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Tactile sensory tests on the nail plate show moving 2-point discrimination is equivalent to the fingertip pulp. This research provides normative data for assessing nail injury impact on hand function.

Keywords:
Pulp sensationnail sensationnormative valuestactile sensibility

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Dermatology
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • The fingertip's sensory function is crucial for hand dexterity.
  • The nail plate's role in tactile sensation is not fully understood.
  • Quantifying tactile perception over the nail plate can inform clinical assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure tactile discrimination and threshold levels on the nail plate.
  • To compare these measurements with those on the corresponding finger pulp.
  • To establish normative data for nail plate sensory function.

Main Methods:

  • Evaluated static and moving 2-point discrimination and tactile thresholds.
  • Utilized the Weinstein enhanced sensory test on 300 digits in 30 healthy subjects.
  • Excluded participants with nail modifications, injuries, or neurological/dermatological conditions.

Main Results:

  • Nail plate: static 2-point discrimination (6.7 mm), moving 2-point discrimination (2.4 mm), threshold (0.06 g).
  • Finger pulp: static 2-point discrimination (2.4 mm), moving 2-point discrimination (2.2 mm), threshold (0.01 g).
  • Moving 2-point discrimination showed clinical equivalence between nail plate and pulp.

Conclusions:

  • Tactile sensation can be reliably measured on the nail plate.
  • Moving 2-point discrimination on the nail plate is clinically equivalent to the finger pulp.
  • Normative data may aid in evaluating nail injuries and hand function.