Do different parts of the body demonstrate different degrees of two-point discrimination?
You bet! But maybe we’d better explain what this means. . . Two-point discrimination is a term used to describe our ability to discriminate (detect) touch from two different points, or sources, versus one point. For example, pinch a very tiny fold of s kin from your wrist between the fingernails of your thumb and index finger. Pinch just hard enough to leave two very light fingernail marks, but not so hard that you break the skin or hurt yourself! The two marks indicate that the sensation came from tw o different places on your skin even though you only felt one pinch. Different parts of the body do have different degrees of two-point discrimination. This is due to differences in both the number and type of “touch receptors” found in different parts of the body. Touch receptors are specialized structures or nerve endi ngs that relay information to the brain about the size, pressure, and texture of things touching our skin. To determine which parts of the body have the greatest degree o
