What is the difference between rapidly adapting and slowly adapting touch receptors?
The primary difference between rapidly adapting and slowly adapting touch receptors lies in how they respond to sustained mechanical stimulation.
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Rapidly adapting receptors respond to the onset and offset of a stimulus or to changing stimuli, such as vibration. They fire impulses when a stimulus is first applied or removed but quickly cease firing if the stimulus remains constant, effectively filtering out steady pressure to focus on changes. Examples include Meissner corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles, Golgi-Mazzoni corpuscles, and hair follicle receptors.12
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Slowly adapting receptors continue to generate nerve impulses as long as a stimulus is maintained. These receptors provide ongoing information about the presence and intensity of steady pressure on the skin. Examples include Merkel cells and Ruffini endings.21
Together, these two types of receptors allow the nervous system to perceive both the dynamic qualities of touch—such as texture and vibration—and the static properties of objects held against the skin.12