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Related Concept Videos

Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

36.9K
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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Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

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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.
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Introduction to Special Senses01:26

Introduction to Special Senses

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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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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.
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...
8.7K
Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System01:11

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

8.4K
The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the...
8.4K
Thermosensation01:43

Thermosensation

29.7K
Peripheral thermosensation is the perception of external temperature. A change in temperature (on the surface of the skin and other tissues) is detected by a family of temperature-sensitive ion channels called Transient Receptor Potential, or TRP, receptors. These receptors are located on free nerve endings. Those detecting cold temperatures are closer to the surface of the skin than the nerve endings detecting warmth. These thermoTRP channels, while temperature selective, have relatively...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 29, 2026

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS
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Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS

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Discriminative and affective touch: sensing and feeling.

Francis McGlone1, Johan Wessberg2, Håkan Olausson3

  • 1School of Natural Science & Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK; Institute of Psychology, Health & Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK.

Neuron
|May 24, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Touch provides more than just sensory information; it also conveys emotional signals. This study identifies specific nerve fibers in hairy skin as the biological basis for touch

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Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans
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Measurement of Vibration Detection Threshold and Tactile Spatial Acuity in Human Subjects
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Last Updated: Apr 29, 2026

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Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans
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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Somatosensory System Research
  • Afferent Nerve Fibers

Background:

  • The human somatosensory system possesses multimodal properties.
  • Emerging evidence suggests touch has an affective dimension beyond discriminative input.
  • Touch is crucial for social communication, with theories on its 'power'.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose the neurobiological substrate for the affective and rewarding aspects of touch.
  • To investigate the role of specific mechanosensitive nerve fibers in processing affective touch.

Main Methods:

  • Identification of low-threshold mechanosensitive C fibers.
  • Analysis of nerve fiber innervation in hairy skin.

Main Results:

  • Low-threshold mechanosensitive C fibers innervating hairy skin are identified.
  • These fibers are proposed as the neural basis for affective touch.

Conclusions:

  • Affective touch, crucial for social bonding, is mediated by specific neural pathways.
  • Low-threshold mechanosensitive C fibers in hairy skin are the likely neurobiological substrate for pleasant touch sensations.