Question

Which of the following statements regarding touch receptors is TRUE?

A. Merkel cells are the most superficial of the touch receptors.
B. Pacinian cells give feedback about the edges and curves of an object such as when you reach into your backpack to find a pencil.
C. Meissner cells sense motion detection and exhibit a sustained (or slowly adapting) response to this.
D. Touch receptors have rather slow conduction rates due to the absence of myelin along their axons.
E. All of the above statements are false.

Answer 1

The true statement about touch receptors is that Merkel cells are the most superficial of the receptors. They are found in the upper layers of skin and are slow-adapting, responding to light touch and the discrimination of shapes and textures.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement regarding touch receptors that is true is A. Merkel cells are the most superficial of the touch receptors. Merkel's disks, which are associated with the Merkel cells, are found in the upper layers of skin near the base of the epidermis, including on glabrous skin such as the palms and fingers, as well as the soles of the feet and lips. They are known for their slow adaptation and high sensitivity to light touch and the discrimination of shapes and textures, making them crucial for tasks like typing on a keyboard. On the other hand, Pacinian corpuscles are found deeper in the skin and are specialized for detecting deep pressure and high-frequency vibration, rather than edges and curves as suggested in option B.

Furthermore, Meissner's corpuscles do not exhibit a sustained response to motion detection as stated in option C; they are actually rapidly adapting receptors that respond to light touch and low-frequency vibration. Lastly, touch receptors often have myelin along their axons, which allows for faster conduction rates, making option D incorrect.