ScienceAugust 30, 2026
mechanosensory
MEK-uh-no-sen-suh-ree
Definition
Relating to the ability of an organism to detect and respond to mechanical stimuli, such as touch, pressure, vibration, or movement.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'mekhanikos' (relating to machines or mechanics) and the Latin 'sensorius' (relating to sensation). It entered scientific English in the 20th century to describe biological systems that translate physical force into sensory information.
In the news
The article refers to a spider's trichobothria as mechanosensory hairs, noting they can detect both physical vibrations and electric field changes, which helps the spider decide when to launch into the air.
Science says some spiders can launch into the sky using silk and electricity to fly and the physics is wil
Read the full article ↗The Economic Times