Pacinian corpuscle

American  

[puh-sin-ee-uhn] / pəˈsɪn i ən /

noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) a microscopic, onionlike body consisting of layers of connective tissue wrapped around a nerve ending, located in the deep layers of skin, tendons, etc., and functioning as a sensory receptor of pressure and vibration.

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Etymology

Origin of Pacinian corpuscle

1875–80; after Filippo Pacini (1812–83), Italian anatomist; see -ian

Example Sentences

There are four primary tactile mechanoreceptors in human skin: Merkel’s disks, Meissner’s corpuscles, Ruffini endings, and Pacinian corpuscle; two are located toward the surface of the skin and two are located deeper.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

One of these receptors, the Pacinian corpuscle, responds to pressure and vibration.

From The Guardian • Feb. 28, 2021

In fact, as the neuroscientist David Linden explained to me, it involves a predictable misread by something called a Pacinian corpuscle.

From The New Yorker • May 16, 2016

The right nerve is attached to a Pacinian corpuscle, which is a yellow structure consisting of concentric ovals similar to an onion.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015