Final answer:
Somatosensation refers to the sense of touch, encompassing sensations like pressure, temperature, and pain, facilitated by receptors in the skin and other body parts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Somatosensation and Tactile Receptors
Somatosensation, also known as the tactile sense or the sense of touch, is a mixed sensory category that includes all sensations received from the skin, mucous membranes, as well as from the limbs and joints. This sensory experience is possible due to various receptor types scattered throughout the body, including those embedded in the skin, mucous membranes, muscles, joints, internal organs, and the cardiovascular system. These receptors are responsible for the perception of pressure, vibration, light touch, tickle, itch, temperature, pain, proprioception (awareness of body position), and kinesthesia (awareness of body movement).
Many of these somatosensory receptors are located in the skin, but they can also be found in muscles, tendons, joint capsules, ligaments, and visceral organs. These receptors help us interpret our physical environment by converting physical stimuli like touch, temperature, and pain into nerve signals that are then processed by the brain.