Meissner's corpuscles (discovered by the anatomist Georg Meissner (1829-1903) are a type of mechanoreceptor and more specifically, a tactile corpuscle(corpusculum tactus). They are distributed throughout the skin, but concentrated in areas especially sensitive to light touch, such as the fingertips, palms, soles, lips, tongue, face, nipples and the external skin of the male and female genitals. They are primarily located just beneath the epidermis within the dermal papillae. Anatomical drawing of the human muscles from the Encyclopédie. ... Georg Meissner was the discoverer of Meissners corpuscles. ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... A mechanoreceptor is a sensory receptor that responds to mechanical pressure or distortion. ... Diagram of the layers of human skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. ... For the network protocol, see finger protocol. ... Palms is a neighborhood in western Los Angeles. ... The sole of a mans foot The Sole is the bottom of the foot. ... The mouth, also known as the buccal cavity or the oral cavity, is the opening through which an animal or human takes in food. ... Many animals have longer and more flexible tongues than humans. ... The face of Leonardo da Vincis Mona Lisa, one of the most recognized faces in the world The face is the front part of the human head from forehead to chin including the head, hair, forehead, eyebrow, eyes, nose, cheek, mouth, lips, teeth, skin, and chin. ... Nipple is, generally, the name given to the mammalian nipple, or to things resembling it, such as the tip of an artificial teat or the tip of a grease secreting mechanism in machinery. ... A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, narrowly defined, is any of those parts of the body (which are not always bodily organs according to the strict definition) which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in a complex organism; namely: Male: penis (notably the glans penis... Epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin. ...

Meissner's corpuscles are encapsulated unmyelinated nerve endings, which consist of flattened supportive cells arranged as horizontal lamellae surrounded by a connective tissue capsule. A single nerve fiber meanders between the lamellae and throughout the corpuscle. Any physical deformation in the corpuscle will cause an action potential in the nerve. Since they are rapidly adapting or phasic, the action potentials generated quickly decrease and eventually cease. If the stimulus is removed, the corpuscle regains its shape and while doing so (ie: while physically reforming) causes another volley of action potentials to be generated. (This is the reason one stops "feeling" one's clothes.) Because of their superficial location in the dermis, these corpuscles are particularly sensitive to touch and vibrations, but for the same reasons, they are limited in their detection because they can only signal that something is touching the skin. Feelings of deep pressure (from a poke, for instance) are generated from Pacinian corpuscles (the only other type of phasic tactile mechanoreceptor), which are located deeper in the dermis, and some free nerve endings. Also, Meissner's corpuscles do not detect pain; this is signalled exclusively by free nerve endings. In neuroscience, myelin is an electrically insulating phospholipid layer that surrounds the axons of many neurons. ... Nerves (yellow)    Nerves redirects here. ... Connective tissue is any type of biological tissue with an extensive extracellular matrix and often serves to support, bind together, and protect organs. ... A. A schematic view of an idealized action potential illustrates its various phases as the action potential passes a point on a cell membrane. ... A phasic receptor is a sensory receptor that returns to its resting potential even though the stimulus is still applied. ... A. A schematic view of an idealized action potential illustrates its various phases as the action potential passes a point on a cell membrane. ... A. A schematic view of an idealized action potential illustrates its various phases as the action potential passes a point on a cell membrane. ... The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis, that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. ... Pressure (symbol: p) is the force per unit area acting on a surface in a direction perpendicular to that surface. ... A Pacinian corpuscle is a structure that functions as a mechanoreceptor. ... NERVE ENDINGS SUCK PENIS!!! ... Pain is an unpleasant sensation which may be associated with actual or potential tissue damage and which may have physical and emotional components. ... NERVE ENDINGS SUCK PENIS!!! ...

External links

• Photomicrograph of Meissner's corpuscles within the skin (see micrograph #3 on the page), part of the UC Davis online histology course.
• Donald L. Rubbelke D.A. Tissues of the Human Body: An Introduction. McGraw-Hill. 1999 Meissner's and Pacinian corpuscles
• Dawn A. Tamarkin, Ph.D. Anatomy and Physiology Unit 15 Vision and Somatic Senses: Touch and Pressure
• S Gilman. Joint position sense and vibration sense: anatomical organisation and assessment. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2002;73:473-477