What is it about the simple touch of a hand that possesses the ability to; on the one hand, soothe and reassure, yet on the other hand, stimulate and incite fear?

So undeniably powerful is human touch, that it has been deemed to play a vital role in our health and overall well-being.

So much so, that "the caress of another person releases hormones that can ease pain and clear the mind," so stated U.S. News & World Report.

* The Science Behind Human Touch.

According to Smithsonian magazine, the human hand possess a particularly refined sense of touch.

Researchers discovered that our hands can detect a dot just three microns high - a micron being a unit of linear measurement equal to 1 millionth of a meter (10 to the minus 6m) or 1/125000th of an inch (a human hair has a diameter of 50 to 100 microns).

However, by "using a texture rather than a dot, the researchers found the hand can detect roughness just 75 nanometers high" - a nanometer being one thousandth of a micron! This quite remarkable sensitivity is attributed to about 2,000 touch receptors in each individual fingertip!

In addition to such sensitivity, scientist have also discovered that we as humans are endowed with a special nervous system that senses love and tenderness - our senses of pleasure being evoked by a second nerve network in the skin, consisting of slow-conducting fibers called tactile C fibers.

Surprisingly, this network responds only to a gentle touch and activates those areas of the brain dealing with emotions.

Explaining why we as humans possess two different sets of nerves, the International Herald Tribune stated: "The slow fibers function from the earliest hours of life, perhaps even in the womb, while the fast fibers develop slowly after birth."

So intricate is this network, that the paper continued: "Newborns might be able to feel the love in a parent's touch before they can feel the touch itself."

* The Powerful Effect Of Human Touch.

So vital is human touch, that some have been led to believe that when a child is deprived of the loving (and appropriate) touch of others, it's emotional (at at times physical) growth will be impeded.

In keeping with this belief, according to a study reported in an 1998 Toronto Star newspaper, "Children raised without being regularly hugged, (appropriately) caressed or stroked... have abnormally high levels of stress hormones."

In addition, the study went on to conclude that maternal separation or neglect in infancy, "can have serous long-range effects on learning and memory." Thereby adding further evidence to the ideal that gentle touching - in addition to lots of love - are important for all children.

Not to be forgotten, is the powerful effect human touch has on a person's health and over-all well-being.

Countless personal and medical experiences have shown how gentle touch can slow the racing heart, lower the blood pressure, and significantly calm even the most terminally ill (it's no wonder that massage therapy is often incorporated as part of a patient's recovery regimen)

Although not a cure-all, even those suffering from depression have been positively effected by the gentle touch of another.

* Why We Need Touch.

"We need touch just as we need sunlight, water, and food," stated a Polish weekly magazine Polityka. When someone touches us, "our brain can perceive it, appreciate it, and change it into a smile, a better mood, or some other friendly gesture."

Especially is this so during the early years of a child's life. Such genuine, loving and appropriate physical contact; contact that goes well beyond just the daily dressing, washing, or feeding; is extremely vital for their overall well-being.

Numerous studies have shown that children who are (appropriately) held, hugged, caressed, and kissed, enjoy better health and growth (both mental and physical) and turn out more intelligent than those kept at a "cold distance."

Realistically, with all the evidence laid out before us, no one can deny the power of the human touch.

Therefore, borrowing a phrase from a popular lotion brand - it is in our best interest to "touch and be touched"