Whiskers or vibrissae (; singular: vibrissa; ) are a type of mammalian hair that are typically characterised, anatomically, by their large size, large and well-innervated hair follicle and by having an identifiable representation in the somatosensory cortex of the brain. They are specialised for tactile sensing (other types of hair operate as more crude tactile sensors). Vibrissae grow in various places on most mammals, including all primates except humans. In medicine, the term vibrissae also refers to the thick hairs found inside human nostrils.
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