Meissner's corpuscles are specialized nerve endings located in the dermal papillae of glabrous skin. They are responsible for detecting light touch and low-frequency vibrations.
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Meissner's corpuscles are most densely located in areas like fingertips, palms, soles, and lips.
They are composed of flattened supportive cells arranged as horizontal lamellae surrounded by a connective tissue capsule.
These receptors rapidly adapt to stimuli, meaning they stop responding quickly after initial activation.
Meissner's corpuscles play a critical role in fine tactile discrimination, such as reading Braille or feeling textures.
They operate through mechanotransduction, converting mechanical stimuli into electrical signals processed by the nervous system.
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Related terms
Merkel cells: Specialized skin cells that detect sustained pressure and texture.