The somatosensory system is responsible for processing sensory information from the body, including touch, temperature, pain, and proprioception (the sense of body position and movement). It involves specialized receptors, ion channels, and signal transduction pathways that enable the detection, transduction, and transmission of somatosensory stimuli. Somatosensory processing begins with the detection of sensory stimuli by somatosensory receptors. These receptors are distributed throughout the body with different types of somatosensory receptors responding to specific stimuli, such as pressure, temperature, vibration, and pain. Mechanoreceptors respond to mechanical stimuli, such as touch and pressure and include various types, such as Merkel cells, Meissner corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles, and Ruffini endings. Mechanoreceptors have specialized structures allowing them to detect and transduce mechanical forces into electrical signals. Thermoreceptors respond to changes in temperature. They include separate populations of receptors for detecting warm and cold temperatures and contain temperature-sensitive ion channels that open or close in response to temperature changes, leading to changes in membrane potential and the generation of electrical signals. Nociceptors respond to noxious or painful stimuli and are involved in the detection of tissue damage and the initiation of pain perception. Nociceptors are sensitive to a wide range of stimuli, such as mechanical pressure, temperature extremes, and chemical irritants, whilst proprioceptors provide information about body position, movement, and muscle tension. Muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs are examples of proprioceptors that play critical roles in proprioception and motor control. The process of transduction involves the conversion of sensory stimuli into electrical signals. In mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, and nociceptors, this occurs through the opening or closing of ion channels in response to mechanical or thermal changes. Mechanosensitive ion channels, such as Piezo and TRP (transient receptor potential) channels, play key roles in mechanoreception. Similarly, thermosensitive ion channels, like TRPV1 for detecting heat, TRPM8 for detecting cold, and TRPA1 for detecting noxious cold and chemical irritants, mediate thermosensation and nociception. Once sensory stimuli are transduced into electrical signals, they are transmitted along sensory neurons to the central nervous system. Sensory neurons are a specialized subset of neurons expressing distinctive ion channels and receptors, allowing them to detect and convey sensory information. Sensory information is relayed through the spinal cord and brainstem to higher brain regions for further processing and integration. In the spinal cord and brainstem, sensory information is processed and modulated by inhibitory and excitatory interneurons before being transmitted to the brain. The primary somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe of the brain, is the main destination for somatosensory information. The somatosensory cortex is organized in a somatotopic map, where specific body areas are represented in distinct regions. Neurons in the somatosensory cortex respond to different somatosensory stimuli, such as touch and proprioception. Molecular mechanisms underlie the adaptation of somatosensory receptors to prolonged or repetitive stimuli. Adaptation helps filter out constant or nonessential sensory information, allowing the system to focus on new or changing stimuli. Additionally, molecular processes underlie somatosensory plasticity, enabling the system to undergo changes in response to experience or injury. We offer a wide product catalogue of research tools for investigating the somatosensory system, including NMDAR2B antibodies, Mu Opioid Receptor antibodies, CX3CR1 antibodies, TRPM8 antibodies, and Peripherin antibodies. Explore our full somatosensory system product range below and discover more, for less. Alternatively, you can explore our Nociception product range.