Abstract
The sense of touch detects forces that bombard the body's surface. In metazoans, an assortment of morphologically and functionally distinct mechanosensory cell types are tuned to selectively respond to diverse mechanical stimuli, such as vibration, stretch, and pressure. A comparative evolutionary approach across mechanosensory cell types and genetically tractable species is beginning to uncover the cellular logic of touch reception.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Caenorhabditis elegans / cytology
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Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology
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Drosophila / cytology
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Drosophila / physiology
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Extracellular Matrix / physiology
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Extracellular Matrix / ultrastructure
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Ion Channels / physiology
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Mammals / physiology
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Mechanoreceptors / metabolism
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Mechanoreceptors / physiology*
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Mechanotransduction, Cellular / physiology*
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Models, Biological
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Touch / physiology*
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Touch Perception / physiology