touch components
The sense of touch occurs on the surface of the skin, and is received and translated by the receptors into one of the four basic sensations: cold, warmth, pressure, and pain. The skin has three layers to it; the first being the outer layer of dead skin cells, or the epidrmis. The second, the dermis, is underneath the epidermis, and is composed of living cells. Beneath that is the subcutaneous tissue, which is composed mostly of fat. There are several different types of nerves in the dermis, the most important ones being Pacinian corpuscles, with encapsulated endings, and free nerve endings. Pain, and a more technical definition of touch will be discussed in greater detail on the following pages.
