mechanoreception

Ability to detect and respond to mechanical stimuli in one's environment. A slight deformation of a mechanoreceptive neuron causes an electric charge at its surface, activating a response. Mechanoreceptors in pain spots (pressure points) in the skin (probably clusters of nerve endings) vary in sensitivity. They respond to a wide range of stimuli, sometimes with a reflex (e.g., a pricked finger pulled away before the brain registers pain). The structures that respond to sound ( ear), sense orientation with respect to gravity ( inner ear), or detect the position and movement of limbs ( proprioception) are mechanoreceptors. Some animals have mechanoreceptors that detect water motion or air currents. sense.