Question

the prominent sensory structure in the skin of the finger is a

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Tactile Receptors (Meissner's Corpuscles)
Sensory structures in the dermal papillae of skin.

Step 1: Identify the tissue layer and region

The image shows a histological section of thick skin.

• The dark pink/purple upper layer is the stratified squamous epithelium of the epidermis.
• The lighter pink layer below is the dermis.
• The boundary between the two layers is highly folded, forming finger-like projections of the dermis that extend upward into the epidermis. These projections are called dermal papillae.

Step 2: Analyze the pointed structure

The black arrow points directly to an oval, encapsulated structure located high within one of these dermal papillae, just beneath the epidermis.

• Inside this structure, there are horizontally flattened cells (Schwann cells) and coiled nerve endings, giving it a characteristic "layered" or "coiled" appearance under light microscopy.
• This specific location (dermal papillae of hairless skin) and morphology are diagnostic of a Meissner's corpuscle (also known as a tactile corpuscle).

Step 3: Determine the function

Meissner's corpuscles are rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors. They are highly sensitive to light touch, low-frequency vibration, and slip/grip adjustments.

Answer:

Meissner's corpuscle (or tactile corpuscle)