What are tactile nerve endings sensitive to touch known as?

The correct answer, Meissner's corpuscles, refers to specialized sensory receptors located primarily in the skin's dermal layer, particularly in areas sensitive to light touch, such as fingertips and lips. These receptors are responsible for detecting gentle pressure and vibration due to their close association with nerve endings.

Meissner's corpuscles consist of a stack of flattened cells arranged like a stack of pancakes around a nerve fiber. When the skin experiences the slightest touch, these receptors are activated and send signals to the brain, allowing for the perception of touch. Their sensitivity to light touch is vital for various functions, including fine motor skills and tactile discrimination.

Pacinian corpuscles, while also touch receptors, are more sensitive to deeper pressure and vibration rather than light touch. Merkel cells are another type of tactile receptor that respond to sustained pressure and texture but have a different structural makeup and function compared to Meissner's corpuscles. Hair follicles, on the other hand, have nerve endings that respond to the movement of hair, but they do not have the same level of sensitivity to touch as the other receptor types mentioned.