Sensory receptors are transducers that convert some form of energy into a change in electrical potential across a neuron's membrane. Mechanoreceptors specifically respond to mechanical energy, or movement. Mechanoreceptors are found in many bodily locations, including the hair cells of the inner ear, the stretch receptors within the muscles, and the various types of receptors in the skin. Mechanoreceptors located in the bladder and parts of the alimentary canal alert the body to pressure within these organs.

Despite their varied locations and structures, all mechanoreceptors work in the same general way. Stimulation of these receptors changes the shape of the membranes in which they are embedded, opening mechanosensitive ion channels that either initiate an action potential, or directly cause the release of neurotransmitter molecules that affect the neighboring neuron.

The touch receptors of the skin vary in size and in the extent of their receptive fields. The touch...