Review of mechanoreceptors and the neural processing of touch sensations

This report provides an overview of mechanoreceptors and their role in the somatosensory system, emphasizing their structural characteristics, response properties, and functional specialization. Four major types of mechanoreceptors—Pacinian corpuscles, Meissner’s corpuscles, Merkel’s disks, and Ruffini endings—are described. The report includes the neural pathways from the skin to the brain, focusing on the dorsal column–medial lemniscus pathway and its precise somatotopic organization. Cortical processing in the primary and secondary somatosensory cortices is discussed, alongside competing models of serial and parallel tactile information flow.