Question

Which functionality would be most affected if you lost your sa i (merkel) touch receptors?

A. The ability to feel when an object you are holding contacts another object, or a mosquito landing on your arm
B. Sensitivity to finger position and downward skin pressure, as when holding an object
C. Texture perception and pattern/form perception, like for reading Braille
D. The ability to detect stable grasp and whether an object is slipping
E. The ability to sense cold and warmth of objects touching the skin

Answer 1

The most affected functionality after the loss of Merkel cells would be the ability to perceive texture and patterns, notably impacting activities that require fine tactile discrimination like reading Braille.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct option is C:

The loss of Merkel cells (SA I touch receptors) would most significantly affect texture perception and pattern/form perception, such as the ability to read Braille (option C).Merkel cells are specialized sensory receptors located in the uppermost layer of the skin. They are responsible for detecting light touch, shapes, and textures. These cells provide the brain with detailed information about the surface features of objects that come into contact with the skin. Being concentrated in areas such as the fingertips where tactile sensitivity is paramount, their loss would impair tasks that require fine tactile discriminations, such as feeling fine textures or recognizing patterns and forms by touch.

This would make it difficult to discern Braille characters, which rely heavily on the ability to feel and interpret subtle surface differences.While the other functionalities mentioned—such as detecting object contact, finger position, grasp stability, and temperature—are also crucial, they primarily involve other types of mechanoreceptors. For instance, the Pacinian corpuscles are more attuned to sensing vibrations and deep pressure, which contributes to our ability to detect a stable grasp or an object slipping from our hands.