Blumenrath, S. (2020, February 3). The Neuroscience of Touch and Pain. BrainFacts.org. https://www.brainfacts.org/thinking-sensing-and-behaving/touch/2020/the-neuroscience-of-touch-and-pain-013020. 

University of Rochester

Sensory neurons located in the skin that respond to various mechanical stimulations. There are 3 main groups of receptors, categorized by what type of stimulus they detect:
- Mechanoreceptors
- Thermoreceptors
- Nociceptors


Skin Receptors

The Neuroscience of Touch and Pain

Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, et al., editors. Neuroscience. 2nd edition. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates; 2001. Mechanoreceptors Specialized to Receive Tactile Information. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10895/

Mechanoreceptors Specialized to Receive Tactile Information

Specialized to detect mechanical forces, including touch, pressure, vibration, and cutaneous tension. There are 4 main cell types:
- Meissner's corpuscles
- Pacinian corpuscles
- Merkel's discs
- Ruffini's endings

These four cell types are referred to as highly sensitive tactile receptors, also referred to as low-threshold mechanoreceptors. 

Mechanoreceptors

Peripheral receptors and nerve fibers that respond to pain. There are 3 different kinds of painful stimuli nociceptors can be attuned to: chemical, physical, and thermal. Some nociceptors respond to itch sensations. 
- TRPV1 (temperature)
- TRMP3 (higher temperature)
- CMR1 (cold)
- Nppb (itch)
- Nav 1.7 (mechanical pain)

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