The brain resolves the conflict between information overload
from a huge number of receptors and the need for resolution of
spatial detail by having a higher density of receptors in
regions of the body where high resolution of detail is
behaviorally important and using progressively lower numbers of
receptors in surrounding regions. Spatial resolution for vision
and touch parallels the density of receptors in the retina and
skin. Spatial resolution on the fingertips approaches that of
the image inD.Receptor density and tactile sensitivity on the
palm is similar to the resolution inC.Resolution of spatial
detail on the forearm approaches that in imageB, while on the
trunk it is similar to that in imageA.(Photographs courtesy of
Daniel Gardner.)
