Cockroach antennae

Cockroach antennae have been extensively used for studying the multifunctional sensory appendage that generates the olfactory, gustatory, tactile, thermal, and humidity senses. Of the variety of senses, the tactile sense is thought to play a key role for perceiving physical objects. Because most cockroach species are nocturnal, the tactile sense of the antenna would be essential to determine the position, shape, and texture of surrounding objects in the dark. Mechanoreceptors on the surface of the antenna are primarily responsible for the generation of tactile sense. In addition, the motor function of antenna also contributes to the active tactile sense (Staudacher et al. 2005; Comer and Baba 2011). The antennal movement is accompanied by the activation of proprioceptors at the antennal joints.