Alternative Content 5.1: Receptors in Skin

These consist of a neural fiber within a structure that resembles a tiny onion. Mechanical stimuli delivered to the corpuscle produce a graded electrical potential with an amplitude that is directly proportional to the strength of the stimulus.

This outermost layer of the skin is the thinnest and varies most widely, ranging from a very flexible, relatively thick layer on the surface of the hands and feet to the delicate outer layer of the eyelid.

This middle layer of the skin contains a rich network of nerve fibers and blood vessels, in addition to a network of connective tissue that is rich in the protein collagen, which gives skin its strength.

A fast-adapting touch receptor, these seem specialized to respond to change in stimuli (as you'd expect from rapidly adapting receptors) to detect localized movement between the skin and a surface.

slow-adapting touch receptors that detect stretching of the skin when we move fingers or limbs.

Detection of pain, heat, and cold at the skin has been associated with activation of these.

This innermost layer of the skin provides an anchor for muscles, contains Pacinian corpuscles, and helps shape the body.

A slow-adapting touch receptor, their receptive fields usually have an inhibitory surround, which increases their spatial resolution. This field also makes them especially responsive to edges and to isolated points on a surface.