Touch

Touch is one of the body's senses, provided by the skin. We normally think of the sense of touch being only in the fingers, but most parts of the skin are capable of feeling and perceiving various elements of this sense.

Strictly, touch is part of the somatosensory system that perceives what we call "touch" or "pressure" including vibration, temperature (warm or cold), pain (including itch and tickle), as well as proprioception (the sensations of muscle movement and joint position including posture), movement, facial expression and visceral senses (sensory information from within the body, such as stomach aches).

Through a combination of these senses, generally using the fingers and arms, we are also able to perceive shape, softness, and texture.

Touch is important to blind people who typically use touch in combination with hearing to determine the shape of the world around them.