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Related Concept Videos

Sensory Functions of the Skin01:16

Sensory Functions of the Skin

9.1K
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...
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Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

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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.
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Nociception01:44

Nociception

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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.
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Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System01:11

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

11.8K
The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the...
11.8K
Thermosensation01:43

Thermosensation

34.8K
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...
34.8K
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

3.3K
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...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

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

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The peripheral and central mechanisms underlying itch.

Jae Seung Lee1, Jasmin Sanghyun Han1, Kyeongho Lee1

  • 1Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Korea.

BMB Reports
|July 16, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Itch sensation significantly impacts quality of life, with current treatments often failing. Understanding itch pathways is key to developing new therapies for chronic itch relief.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Dermatology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Itch is a distressing sensation impairing quality of life.
  • It is a symptom of skin and systemic diseases.
  • Current itch medications are often ineffective and cause side effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Identify primary afferent neurons responding to itch mediators.
  • Understand central nervous system processing of itch.
  • Develop novel therapeutic strategies for chronic itch.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature on itch.
  • Focus on itch-selective receptors and signaling molecules.
  • Analysis of neuronal pathways and central processing.

Main Results:

  • Progress in identifying itch-selective receptors and signaling pathways.
  • Elucidation of neuronal pathways from periphery to brain.
  • Exploration of itch vs. pain decoding mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding itch mechanisms is crucial for developing effective treatments.
  • Targeting specific neuronal pathways offers therapeutic potential.
  • Further research is needed to distinguish itch from pain processing.