Which part of the body has the worst two-point discrimination?

• A. Face
• B. Shin
• C. Calf
• D. Thigh

Answer: (C)

Two-point discrimination varies across the body based on how densely tactile receptors are packed and how large the receptive fields are in the skin and brain. Areas with many small receptor fields and strong cortical representation have fine discrimination, like the face. Areas with fewer receptors and larger receptive fields have poorer discrimination because two close points are more likely to feel like one.

The calf shows the worst two-point discrimination among the options because its skin and underlying tissues have relatively large receptive fields and fewer tactile receptors per area, making it harder to distinguish two nearby points. The shin and thigh generally have better discrimination than the calf, while the face has the finest discrimination overall.