Pacinian corpuscle
/pəˈsɪnɪən
/noun Anatomy
An encapsulated ending of a sensory nerve that acts as a receptor for pressure and vibration.Hair follicles and smooth muscle (arrector pili), sweat and sebaceous glands, and Pacinian corpuscles are located in the reticular layer....
- The feet of elephants are more than mere clumping cylinders; their interiors are filled with vibration sensors known as Pacinian corpuscles, which have a structure similar to an onion, with a slimy gel between each layer.
- Snakes have simple nerve endings for vibration perception and Herbst corpuscles in birds and Pacinian corpuscles in Eutherian mammals allow for perception of vibrations.
Origin
Late 19th century: named after Filippo Pacini (1812–83), Italian anatomist.