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Nociception

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.

Thermosensation

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...

Sensory Functions of the Skin

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...

Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers

Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers

Local anesthetics (LAs) block the sodium channels of nerve trunks, sensory nerve endings, and neuromuscular junctions. Although LAs can block all kinds of nerves, the sensitivity of nerve fibers differs according to nerve types and structures. LAs are known to block myelinated fibers faster than unmyelinated ones. Also, they block pain or sensory neurons at low concentrations without affecting the motor neurons involved in muscle contractions. This helps relieve labor pain without affecting the...

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 18, 2026

An Improved Assay and Tools for Measuring Mechanical Nociception in Drosophila Larvae

An Improved Assay and Tools for Measuring Mechanical Nociception in Drosophila Larvae

Published on: October 29, 2020

Nociceptor-Enriched Genes Required for Normal Thermal Nociception.

Ken Honjo¹, Stephanie E Mauthner², Yu Wang³

¹Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.

|June 28, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers screened Drosophila larvae for genes controlling heat sensation, identifying new genes for heat resistance and sensitivity. This study reveals crucial genetic factors influencing thermal nociception and neuronal development.

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Last Updated: Mar 18, 2026

An Improved Assay and Tools for Measuring Mechanical Nociception in Drosophila Larvae

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Published on: October 29, 2020

Teasing Out the Interplay Between Natural Killer Cells and Nociceptor Neurons

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Novel Assay for Cold Nociception in Drosophila Larvae

Novel Assay for Cold Nociception in Drosophila Larvae

Published on: April 3, 2017

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Genetics
Molecular Biology

Background:

Thermal nociception is a critical sensory process for survival.
Understanding the genetic basis of thermal nociception is essential for comprehending sensory mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify novel genes involved in thermal nociception using a targeted reverse genetic screen in Drosophila larvae.
To characterize the function of nociceptor-enriched genes in thermal sensation and neuronal morphology.

Main Methods:

Laser capture microdissection and microarray analysis to identify nociceptor-enriched genes.
Nociceptor-specific RNA interference (RNAi) and thermal nociception assays to test gene function.
Analysis of nociceptor neurite branching and dendritic morphology.

Main Results:

Identified 275 nociceptor-enriched genes.
Discovered 14 genes causing insensitive thermal nociception and 22 genes causing hypersensitive thermal nociception.
Observed correlations between nociception phenotypes and altered neurite branching, with novel gene names assigned.

Conclusions:

The study successfully identified and functionally characterized numerous genes regulating thermal nociception in Drosophila.
Many identified genes are conserved in mammals, suggesting fundamental roles in thermal sensation across species.
Findings provide new insights into the genetic architecture of thermosensation and neuronal development.