16.2 General Senses

sense receptors consist of

one or more nerve endings, can be capsulated or uncapsulated

Unencapsulated receptors

free nerve endings, tactile discs, hair receptors

type of free nerve endings

nociceptors, warm receptors, cold receptors.

free nerve endings are most common in

skin and mucous membranes

tactile discs function

detect light touch and textures

hair receptor (root hair plexus) function

detect movement in the hair, adaptive enough to tune out repetitive motion

most encapsulated nerve endings are ______receptors

mechanoreceptors

tactile corpsucles function

detect light touch and texure, more sensitive than tactile receptors

tactile corpuscles locations

sensitive hairless areas (palms, lips, eyelids, genitals)

end bulbs function

similar to tactile corpuscles, but are in the mucous membranes instead of skin

bulbous corpucles function

heavy touch, pressure, stretching of the skin, deformation of the fingernails, and joint movement

llamellar (pacinian) corpuscles function

vibration and pressure sensitivity

bulbous corpucles locations

dermis, subcutaneous tissue, joint capsules