Touch receptors Sensitive to touch Pain receptors Sensitive to pain

Epidermis

Heat receptor Sensitive to heat Cold receptors Sensitive to cold

Fatty layer

Dermis

Sweat gland
Pressure receptors Sensitive to pressure

1. What is meant by the sense of touch?

The ability of the skin to detect stimuli.

2. State five types of receptor which are found in the skin.

Pressure, touch, pain, heat and cold.

3. What is the name given to the nerve endings which are sensitive to stimuli?

Receptors.
4. Why are the pain receptors finely branched at their tips near the surface of the skin?

So that they can cover a wider area of the skin and detect pain more effectively.
5. What are the advantages of having pain and touch receptors near to the surface of the skin?

The skin can detect pain and touch more efficiently and quickly.
6. Briefly state what happens when receptors are stimulated.

Nerve endings (receptors) are stimulated and they send impulses and information to the brain for processing.

Part of body

Use of toothpicks One

Two

Finger tips Back of the neck Lips

Elbow
Knees Sole of feet Palm of hands Back of the ears

1. State two factors which affect the sensitivity of the skin. a. Thickness of epidermis b. Number of receptors 2. Briefly explain your answer in question number 1. The thinner the epidermis, the more sensitive the skin is to stimuli. The more the number of receptors, the more sensitive the skin is to stimuli. 3. From the results obtained, classify the sensitivity of skin into two
appropriate groups.
Parts of body which are less sensitive

Sensitivity of skin
Parts of body which are more sensitive

Elbow Knees Sole of feet Palm of hands

Conclusion

Fingertips Behind the neck Lips Behind the ear

The sensitivity of skin and the body depends on the thickness of the epidermis and the number of receptors on the particular section of skin.

4. Explain why a. the parts of the body you have stated in (3) are less sensitive to stimuli.

The epidermis is thick and contains less receptors.

b. the parts of the body you have stated in (3) are more sensitive to stimuli.

The epidermis is thin and contain more receptors.

5. Why does our skin contain various receptors which are sensitive to stimuli?

So that we can avoided danger.

The sensitivity of skin covering different parts of the body varies.

1. How does a blind man use Braille to read? Which receptors are functioning when he use Braille to read?

A blind person uses touch receptors on the fingertips to read Braille.

2. Which receptors are stimulated when we are given an injection?

Pain receptors.

1.

On Figure 1, label the parts using the correct words in box.

Heat receptors Pain receptors Touch receptors Pressure receptors Cold receptors Nerves

Touch Receptors Cold receptors

Pain receptors Heat receptors Pressure receptors

Nerves

Figure 1 Cross-section of the skin

Figure 1 Cross-section of the skin

2.

Fill in the blanks with the suitable terms given in the box.
receptors thickness thinner sense of touch touch more number of

a. b. c.

The skin is an organ of

There are five types of in the skin sensitive to various stimuli. The sensitivity of the skin depends on the thickness of the epidermis and the

touch receptors

number

of receptors on the skin.

d. e. f.

The

thinner

the epidermis, the more sensitive it is to stimulus.

The more receptors there are on the skin, the more sensitive it is to stimulus. Blind people use their sense of touch to help them read Braille.