Describe the types of mechanoreceptors that provide information about touch.
What will be an ideal response?
Mechanoreceptors are categorized according to their structure, size of receptive field, rate of adaptation, and type of information that is processed. Structurally, mechanoreceptors are either encapsulated or not. In encapsulated receptors, the axon fibers are surrounded by a fluid-filled capsule formed of connective tissue. The two major types of encapsulated mechanoreceptors are the Meissner's corpuscles and the Pacinian corpuscles. The Meissner's corpuscles are found at the junction of the epidermis and dermis, whereas the Pacinian corpuscles are located deep in the skin, in the joints, and in the digestive tract. Nonencapsulated receptors include the Merkel's disks and Ruffini's endings. The Merkel's disks, like the Meissner's corpuscles, are in the upper areas of the skin, whereas the Ruffini's endings are located at deeper levels. We also find free nerve endings distributed within the skin. As their name implies, these receptors do not have any specialized structure but are simply the unmyelinated nerve endings of sensory neurons.
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Indicate whether the statement is true or false