Meissner corpuscle

…of specialized nerve endings (Meissner’s corpuscles) in the hands and feet that increase tactile sensitivity. As far as is known, no other placental mammal has them. Primates possess dermatoglyphics (the skin ridges responsible for fingerprints), but so do many other arboreal mammals.

Meissner’s corpuscles, the principal receptors for touch in hairless skin, are best developed in apes and humans, but they can be found in all primates. Structurally correlated with a high level of tactile sensitivity are certain anatomic features of the skin of the hands and…

…endings, hair follicle receptors, and Meissner corpuscles, respond to superficial light touch; the next two, Merkel endings and Ruffini endings, to touch pressure; and the last one, Pacinian corpuscles, to vibration. Pacinian corpuscles are built in a way that gives them a fast response and quick recovery. They contain a…

…encapsulated endings, such Pacinian corpuscles, Meissner’s corpuscles, and Krause end bulbs.