• When Pacinian corpuscles?are stimulated?by pressure on the skin this leads to the?establishment of a generator potential
  • This happens due to the movement of charged ions across the membrane

   

• There is usually an?excess of positively charged sodium ions (Na+) surrounding the axon
• When pressure is exerted on the Pacinian corpuscle the layers of membrane become?distorted?and the?stretch-mediated sodium protein channels?in the axon membrane?open
  • These channels are referred to as?stretch-mediated sodium channels

   

• Sodium ions enter the axon via?facilitated diffusion
• This influx of ions changes the electrical potential difference across the membrane
  • This leads to?depolarisation
  • This?establishes a generator potential

   

• The generator potential triggers impulses (action potentials) that travel along the sensory neurone to the central nervous system

The influx of sodium ions establishes an electrical potential difference across the membrane of the axon. This is the generator potential.