What is a Pacinian corpuscle and how does it work?

The Pacinian corpuscle is a mechanoreceptor, which means it is a sensory receptor that responds to touch, pressure or vibration. Pacinian corpuscles are found deep in the skin, and respond to both pressure and vibration. They are oval shaped, and have layers of lamellae separated by a gel. These layers surround a single sensory neuron. The neuron membrane contains stretch-mediated sodium channels, which are closed under non-stimulating circumstances. When pressure is applied to the skin, these lamellae deform, causing the neuron membrane to deform. When the neuron membrane is deformed, the stretch-mediated sodium ion channels in the membrane are opened, which leads to a rapid influx of sodium ions. Since the sodium ions are positively charged, this influx results in a generator potential across the membrane. The generator potential can continue along the neuron axon as an action potential.