Jan.
30, 2013 — The most sensitive patch of mammalian skin known to us isn't
human but on the star-shaped tip of the star-nosed mole's snout. Researchers
studying this organ have found that the star has a higher proportion of
touch-sensitive nerve endings than pain receptors, according to a study
published Jan. 30 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Diana
Bautista and colleagues from the University of California, Berkeley and
Vanderbilt University.
Touch
and pain are closely intertwined sensations, but very little is known about how
these sensations are detected in our cells. In this study, the authors turned
to a unique species for answers: the star-nosed mole. In addition to its
distinction as the fastest-eating mammal known, the star-nosed mole also
possesses one of the most sensitive tactile organs known in the animal kingdom.
The star on its nose has the highest density of nerve endings known in any mammalian
skin, with over 100,000 fibers in a patch of skin about 1 cm. in diameter. The
authors found these nerve endings significantly enriched in neurons sensitive
to light touch, with a lower proportion of neurons that detect and respond to
pain.
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