Pacinian corpuscle

noun Pa·cin·i·an corpuscle \pə-ˈsi-nē-ən-\

Definition of PACINIAN CORPUSCLE

: a pressure-sensitive mechanoreceptor that is an oval capsule terminating some sensory nerve fibers especially in the skin

Origin of PACINIAN CORPUSCLE

Filippo Pacini †1883 Italian anatomist

First Known Use: circa 1860

Medical Dictionary

Pacinian corpuscle

noun Pa·cin·i·an corpuscle \pə-ˌsin-ē-ən-\

Medical Definition of PACINIAN CORPUSCLE

: a pressure-sensitive mechanoreceptor that is an oval capsule terminating some sensory nerve fibers especially in the skin (as of the hands and feet)—see corpuscle of herbst

Biographical Note for PACINIAN CORPUSCLE

Pacini, Filippo (1812–1883), Italian anatomist. Pacini devoted his medical career to microscopic research. In 1831, while dissecting a hand, he observed the corpuscles around the branches of the median nerve to the digits. These corpuscles, now known as Pacinian corpuscles, had been originally described in 1741, but Pacini was the first to describe their distribution in the body, their microscopic structure, and their nerve connections. He also related the function of the corpuscles to the sensation of touch and deep pressure.