Experiments with mice and human cells show that a second previously unknown element intervenes in tactile sensation. The skin is the interface with which humans relate to the environment.

In its three main layers, especially the epidermis, there are more than 11,000 proteins, most with functions to be discovered. In October 2021, the Nobel Prize in Medicine will be awarded to researchers David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for discovering temperature receptors and PIEZO1 and PieZO2.