In the skin there are several receptor cells that can pick up various stimuli such as temperature, pressure and pain. They can be classified into mechanoreceptor, thermoreceptor and pain receptor cells. When we are dealing with mechanical stimuli like pressure, mechanoreceptors respond to stimuli by sending the signal to the brain.
Light touches on the skin are received by nerve endings called Meissner corpuscles and Merkel discs. Already more intense pressures (such as a handshake) are received by receptors called Pacini corpuscles.
