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Related Concept Videos

Sensory Functions of the Skin01:16

Sensory Functions of the Skin

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair and Hair Follicles01:16

Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair and Hair Follicles

Hair and hair follicles are integral components of the integumentary system. Hair is a filamentous structure composed mainly of a protein called keratin. It is found on the surface of the skin throughout the body, except for areas such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Hair is a keratinous filament growing out of the epidermis. It is primarily made of dead, keratinized cells. Hair strands originate at the epidermal penetration called the hair follicle. The hair shaft is the part...
Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...
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...
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
The Physiology of Taste01:24

The Physiology of Taste

The perception of a salty flavor is facilitated by sodium ions within the oral salivary fluid. Upon consumption of a salty substance, salt crystals disassemble, leading to the liberation of its constituents—Na+ and Cl- ions. These ions subsequently dissolve into the salivary fluid present in the oral cavity. The external environment of the gustatory cells experiences an elevation in Na+ concentration, thereby establishing a potent concentration gradient. This gradient propels the diffusion of...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Cheek Injection Model for Simultaneous Measurement of Pain and Itch-related Behaviors
04:59

Cheek Injection Model for Simultaneous Measurement of Pain and Itch-related Behaviors

Published on: September 27, 2019

Basic mechanisms of itch.

C Potenzieri1, B J Undem

  • 1Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Clinical and Experimental Allergy : Journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
|June 8, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Chronic itch involves sensory nerve activation by various mediators. Both peripheral and central sensitization contribute to persistent itching sensations.

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Last Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Cheek Injection Model for Simultaneous Measurement of Pain and Itch-related Behaviors
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Published on: September 27, 2019

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Dermatology
  • Pain Research

Background:

  • Chronic itch is a significant clinical issue with diverse causes.
  • Pruriceptive itch arises from activated peripheral sensory nerves due to damage or inflammatory mediators.
  • Itch signals travel to the brain via the spinal thalamic tract.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms underlying pruriceptive itch.
  • To discuss the sensory nerve subtypes involved in itch.
  • To explore the mediators and sensitization processes in chronic itch.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing human and animal studies on itch mechanisms.
  • Analysis of research on sensory nerve fiber involvement (C-fibres, Aδ fibres).
  • Examination of pruritogenic mediators and their effects.

Main Results:

  • Pruriceptive itch involves activation of C-fibres and Aδ nerve fibres.
  • Numerous mediators (amines, proteases, cytokines, peptides) trigger these nerves.
  • Sensory processing for itch and pain shows significant overlap.
  • Peripheral and central sensitization to itch stimuli are key features of chronic itch.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding pruriceptive itch mechanisms is crucial for managing chronic itching.
  • The involvement of multiple nerve types and mediators highlights the complexity of itch.
  • Sensitization processes are critical targets for future therapeutic interventions.