Representatives from Umeå University in Sweden evaluated the sensitivity of sensory neurons at human fingertips. Research has shown that they are even more effective than previously thought, according to The Journal of Neuroscience.
Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – March 23, 2021 – Lifestyle
Neurons sit just below the surface of the skin and allow us to sense touch, vibration, pressure, pain, and more. The hands alone contain thousands of neurons, each of which has receptors on a small area of the skin (receptive field).
The study involved 12 healthy volunteers aged 20 to 30 years. The authors glued their nails to plastic holders to prevent them from moving. Then cones a few tenths of a millimeter wide were rolled over the skin at a distance of about 7 mm from each other. The response of each neuron was recorded using electrodes.
Scientists tracked especially sensitive areas and mapped them. It turned out that neurons are able to respond to an object only 0.4 mm wide. The authors noted that this is the first study to demonstrate that our fingertips help us sense the world around us more accurately.
“We have numerous hotspots, and each of them responds to 0.4-millimeter detail, which is comparable to the approximate width of a papillary line. After that, all information is transmitted to the brain, ”they stressed.
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Source: Ukrgate
