The
somatosensory system, also known as
somatic senses, touch or
tactile perception, is a complex
sensory system. It is considered one of the five traditional
senses. It is made up of a number of different receptors, including
thermoreceptors,
photoreceptors,
mechanoreceptors and
chemoreceptors. It also comprises essential processing centres, or
sensory modalities, such as
proprioception,
mechanoreception (touch),
thermoception (temperature), and
nociception (pain). The
sensory receptors cover the
skin and
epithelial tissues,
skeletal muscles,
bones and
joints, internal
organs, and the
cardiovascular system.