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Unveiling the Hidden Sense of Touch in Humans' Hair Follicles

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Source: IFLScience
Unveiling the Hidden Sense of Touch in Humans' Hair Follicles
Photo: IFLScience
TL;DR

Scientists have discovered a new sense of touch in humans that is mediated by hair follicles. Through analyzing single cell RNA sequencing data, researchers found that hair follicles contain a higher than expected percentage of touch-sensitive receptors. Further experiments revealed that hair follicle cells release neurotransmitters serotonin and histamine, which activate adjacent sensory nerve cells, thus passing on a sense of touch. This discovery opens up new avenues for understanding the role of hair follicles in processing light touch and potential applications in skin conditions such as eczema.

Topics:healthscience-and-technology#hair-follicles#human-body#neurotransmitters#science-and-technology#sense-of-touch#sensory-nerve-cells
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  1. Humans Have A Sense Of Touch We Didn't Know About Before  IFLScience
  2. Sleek Sixth Sense? Our Body Hair Plays a Surprising Role in Perceiving Gentle Touch: Study | Weather.com  The Weather Channel
  3. Scientists Just Discovered a New Human Sense of Touch  ScienceAlert
  4. New sense of touch hiding in hair follicles discovered  India Today

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