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Related Concept Videos

Thermosensation01:43

Thermosensation

Peripheral thermosensation is the perception of external temperature. A change in temperature (on the surface of the skin and other tissues) is detected by a family of temperature-sensitive ion channels called Transient Receptor Potential, or TRP, receptors. These receptors are located on free nerve endings. Those detecting cold temperatures are closer to the surface of the skin than the nerve endings detecting warmth. These thermoTRP channels, while temperature selective, have relatively...
Pain01:20

Pain

Pain serves as a critical warning signal that alerts the body to potential or actual harm. When mechanical pressure on the skin is intense, such as from a sharp pinch, the sensation transitions from touch to pain. Similarly, extreme temperatures, like a hot pot handle, convert the sensation of heat into pain. Pain can also result from overstimulation of other senses, such as blinding light, loud noise, or the intense heat from habañero peppers. This ability to sense pain is essential for...
Methods of reducing fever01:22

Methods of reducing fever

The signs and symptoms of fever include hot and dry skin, flushed face, thirst, muscle aches, anorexia, headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and fatigue. Elevated body temperature is reduced using two methods: pharmacological and nonpharmacological. Proper identification and treatment of the root cause of a fever is of utmost importance.
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:
Decreased Body Temperature01:29

Decreased Body Temperature

A decreased body temperature can occur in patients with hypothermia and frostbite. Heat loss with extended cold exposure overpowers the body's ability to create heat, resulting in hypothermia. Core temperature readings help classify hypothermia. Mild hypothermia is temperatures between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 35°C (95 °F) and is caused by impaired thermoregulation. Moderate hypothermia is temperatures between 28 C (82.4 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F) caused by sustained extreme cold exposure, and severe...
Nociception01:44

Nociception

Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain. Thus, pain helps the...
Cold Weather Concreting01:27

Cold Weather Concreting

When freshly poured concrete is exposed to freezing temperatures before it has set, the water within the concrete can freeze. This expansion disrupts the setting process, delays chemical reactions necessary for hardening, and increases the volume of pores within the hardened concrete, which weakens its overall structure. If the concrete manages to reach an appreciable strength before it freezes, the damage can be somewhat mitigated.
To counteract the negative impacts of cold weather, ensuring...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery
09:38

Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery

Published on: April 14, 2016

Converting cold into pain.

Carlos Belmonte1, James A Brock, Felix Viana

  • 1Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, San Juan de Alicante, Spain. carlos.belmonte@umh.es

Experimental Brain Research
|April 29, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mammals detect cold using specialized nerve endings and ion channels, like transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. The balance between excitatory and inhibitory channels fine-tunes cold sensitivity, which can be disrupted in nerve injuries.

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Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Physiology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Mammals perceive a range of cold sensations, from mild to painful.
  • Cold detection involves specific sensory nerve endings in the skin and mucosae.
  • Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are key players in sensing temperature.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review cold-sensitive receptors and their transduction mechanisms.
  • To link specific ion channels to afferent fiber activation.
  • To understand how varying thermal thresholds are achieved.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of direct recordings from corneal nerve endings.
  • Studies of thermoreceptive neurons in cell culture.
  • Review of literature on TRP channels and cold sensing.

Main Results:

  • Cold sensing is complex, involving multiple ion channels.
  • Excitatory cationic channels (e.g., TRPs) and inhibitory potassium channels interact.
  • This interaction creates tunable sensory thresholds and activity levels.

Conclusions:

  • Cold thermotransduction relies on the coordinated action of various ion channels.
  • A fine balance between excitation and inhibition dictates cold sensitivity.
  • Imbalances in this system can lead to altered cold sensitivity, common in peripheral nerve injury.