Cutaneous receptor
A cutaneous receptor is the type of
nociceptors (pain), and thermoreceptors (temperature).[1]
Types
The sensory receptors in the skin are:
- Mechanoreceptors
- Ruffini's end organ (skin stretch)
- End-bulbs of Krause (Cold)
- Meissner's corpuscle (changes in texture, slow vibrations)
- Pacinian corpuscle(deep pressure, fast vibrations)
- Merkel's disc (sustained touch and pressure)
- Free nerve endings
- thermoreceptor
- nociceptors
- chemoreceptors
Modalities
With the above-mentioned receptor types the skin can sense the modalities touch, pressure, vibration, temperature and pain. The modalities and their receptors are partly overlapping, and are innervated by different kinds of fiber types.
| Modality | Type | Fiber type |
|---|---|---|
| Touch | ) | Aβ fibers
|
| Touch & pressure | Slowly adapting cutaneous mechanoreceptors (Merkel and Ruffini corpuscle end-organs some free nerve endings) |
Aδ fibers (free nerve endings)
|
| Vibration | Pacinian corpuscle end-organs |
Aβ fibers
|
| Temperature | Thermoreceptors | C fibers (warmth receptors)
|
| Pain & Itch | Free nerve ending nociceptors | paleospinothalamic tract )
|
Morphology
Cutaneous receptors are at the ends of afferent neurons. works within the capsule. Ion channels are situated near these networks.
In
somatosensory cortex.[2]
See also
References
- ISBN 0 521 30551-9.
- ISBN 0-07-290584-0.