Touch is a crucial means of receiving information. This photo shows tactile markings identifying stairs for visually impaired people. The<unk>  is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch, as well as temperature, body position (proprioception), and pain. It is a subset of the sensory nervous<unk> , which also represents visual, auditory, olfactory, and gustatory stimuli. Somatosensation begins when mechano- and thermosensitive structures in the skin or internal organs sense physical stimuli such as pressure on the skin (see mechanotransduction, nociception). Activation of these structures, or receptors, leads to activation of peripheral sensory neurons that convey signals to the spinal cord as patterns of action potentials. Sensory information is then processed locally in the spinal cord to drive reflexes, and is also conveyed to the brain for conscious perception of touch and proprioception. Note,<unk>  information from the face and head enters the brain through peripheral sensory neurons in the cranial nerves, such as the trigeminal nerve. The neural pathways that go to the brain are structured such that information about the location of the physical stimulus is preserved. In this way, neighboring neurons in the<unk>  cerebral cortex in the brain represent nearby locations on the skin or in the body, creating a map, also called a homunculus.
Somatosensory system
Parasympathetic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
Motor system
Endocrine system
Central pattern generator
Neural pathway
Cranial nerves