Somatosensation / Transduction / Acuity
Acuity
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receptive field size of touch receptors varies widely thoughout the body, therefore so does acuity -
a simple way to measure acuity is to determine the physical distance required for two stimuli to be perceived as separate =two point discrimination
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the lips have the greatest acuity (two point discrimination threshold ~ 1 mm); the calf has the least (threshold ~ 48 mm)
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two point discrimination is tested when nerve damage is suspected, as well as when monitoring nerve regeneration