Sole (foot)
You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.
| Sole (foot) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Soles of male (left) & female (right) feet | |
| Latin | planta |
| Artery | medial plantar, lateral plantar |
| Nerve | medial plantar, lateral plantar |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | p_22/12644411 |
Please Take Over This Page and Apply to be Editor-In-Chief for this topic: There can be one or more than one Editor-In-Chief. You may also apply to be an Associate Editor-In-Chief of one of the subtopics below. Please mail us [1] to indicate your interest in serving either as an Editor-In-Chief of the entire topic or as an Associate Editor-In-Chief for a subtopic. Please be sure to attach your CV and or biographical sketch.
Overview
The sole is the bottom of the human foot. Anatomically, the sole of the foot is referred to as the plantar aspect. The equivalent surface in ungulates is the hoof.
Description
The skin on the sole of the foot lacks the vellus hair and pigmentation found on the rest of the body, and has a high concentration of sweat pores. The soles are crossed by a set of creases that form during embryogenesis and contain the thickest layers of skin on the human body due to the weight that is continually placed on them. Like the palm, the sweat pores of the sole lack sebaceous glands.
Innervation of the sole
The soles of the feet are extremely sensitive to touch due to a high concentration of nerve endings. This makes them sensitive to surfaces that are walked on, ticklish and some people find them to be erogenous zones.[1] Medically, the soles are the site of the plantar reflex, the testing of which can be painful due to the sole's sensitivity. The feet can also be a used for torture.
Arches
The sole of the adult foot is normally arched. Arches may fail to develop during childhood or may flatten during pregnancy and old age resulting in flat feet.
The sole of the foot in culture
In the Middle East the sole of the foot is considered unclean and it is considered insulting or offensive to prominently display a barefoot. In Western culture the sensitivity of the sole makes it a target for tickling or sexual stimulation.[1]
References
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
