Cutaneous mechanoreceptors (Meissner, Pacinian, Merkel, Ruffini)

Receptor or cortex · A-beta

Encapsulated and disc receptors in skin transduce fine discriminative touch, vibration and pressure onto large myelinated A-beta fibres. The cell body of this first-order neurone sits in the dorsal root ganglion; it is pseudounipolar and there is no synapse in the ganglion.

Detail

Modalities: Fine (discriminative) touch, vibration, two-point discrimination
Fibre: A-beta, large myelinated, fast conducting
Cell body: Dorsal root ganglion (pseudounipolar, no synapse)

When it goes wrong

Length-dependent large-fibre peripheral neuropathy (diabetes, B12 deficiency, alcohol)

Glove-and-stocking loss of vibration and light touch that starts at the toes, with absent ankle jerks; pinprick may be relatively spared early

Practise this structure

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