Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 2, 2026

Tactile pad

A tactile pad is an area of skin that is particularly sensitive to pressure, temperature, or pain. Tactile pads are characterized by high concentrations of free nerve endings. In primates, the last phalanges in the fingers and toes have tactile pads, allowing very accurate manipulation of objects. This precision grip was an important evolutionary advance in primates.

Last revised
Jun 2, 2026
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A tactile pad is an area of skin that is particularly sensitive to pressure, temperature, or pain. Tactile pads are characterized by high concentrations of free nerve endings.1 In primates, the last phalanges in the fingers and toes have tactile pads, allowing very accurate manipulation of objects. This precision grip was an important evolutionary advance in primates.2

References

References

  1. O'Neil, D. (2007-06-08). "The Primates: Glossary of Terms". Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  2. Givens, D. B. (2002). "Precision grip". Archived from the original on 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2008-06-03.