The sense of touch

The organ for the human sense of touch is the skin. It is the largest sense organ because, unlike the others, it is not found in any specific place, but throughout the body.

Our sense of touch uses many different receptors that help us respond to different stimuli. such as pain, pressure, tension, temperature, texture, shape, weight, contours and vibrations. It helps us to move away when the brain perceives that there is danger.

Receptors that respond to heat and cold are known as thermoreceptors. Nociceptors respond to painful stimuli. The mechanoreceptors They are those that respond to mechanical stimuli such as tension, pressure or vibration. Chimemoreceptors respond to chemical stimuli such as taste and smell.

The complete network of sensory receptors does not only exist in the skin. It is distributed throughout the interior of the body, such as muscles, bones and joints, hearts and blood vessels. All together, it is known as the somatosensory system. A few places without sensory receptors are our hair and nails. That is why we do not feel pain when we cut or trim them. For the purposes of this lesson, we will take a look at the receptors under our skin.