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Related Concept Videos

Thermosensation01:43

Thermosensation

33.3K
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...
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Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing02:39

Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing

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Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
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Phase Transitions02:31

Phase Transitions

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Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
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Phase Diagram01:19

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6.7K
The phase of a given substance depends on the pressure and temperature. Thus, plots of pressure versus temperature showing the phase in each region provide considerable insights into the thermal properties of substances. Such plots are known as phase diagrams. For instance, in the phase diagram for water (Figure 1), the solid curve boundaries between the phases indicate phase transitions (i.e., temperatures and pressures at which the phases coexist).
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¹H NMR of Conformationally Flexible Molecules: Variable-Temperature NMR01:15

¹H NMR of Conformationally Flexible Molecules: Variable-Temperature NMR

1.4K
The axial and equatorial protons in cyclohexane can be distinguished by performing a variable-temperature NMR experiment. In this process, except for one proton, the remaining eleven protons are replaced by deuterium. The deuterium substitution avoids the possible peak splitting caused by the spin-spin coupling between the adjacent protons. The remaining proton flips between the axial and equatorial positions.
1.4K
Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation02:39

Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation

20.1K
The physical form of a substance changes on changing its temperature. For example, raising the temperature of a liquid causes the liquid to vaporize (convert into vapor). The process is called vaporization—a surface phenomenon. Vaporization occurs when the thermal motion of the molecules overcome the intermolecular forces, and the molecules (at the surface) escape into the gaseous state. When a liquid vaporizes in a closed container, gas molecules cannot escape. As these gas phase molecules...
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Phase Diagram Characterization Using Magnetic Beads as Liquid Carriers
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Phase Separation as a Molecular Thermosensor.

Changxuan Li1, Xiaofeng Fang1

  • 1Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.

Developmental Cell
|October 27, 2020
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers identified ELF3, a component of the circadian clock, as a novel molecular thermosensor. This discovery reveals how organisms sense temperature through phase separation, a key mechanism in biological temperature detection.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Chronobiology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Understanding how organisms perceive temperature is a fundamental biological question.
  • The molecular mechanisms underlying thermosensation are not fully elucidated.
  • Identifying specific molecular thermosensors is crucial for understanding thermal biology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel molecular components involved in temperature sensing.
  • To investigate the role of circadian clock elements in thermosensation.
  • To elucidate the mechanism by which temperature is detected at the molecular level.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated the function of ELF3, a component of the circadian clock.
  • Utilized biophysical techniques to study protein phase separation.
  • Analyzed the temperature-dependent behavior of ELF3 in cellular systems.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that ELF3 undergoes temperature-dependent phase separation.
  • Showed that this phase separation of ELF3 acts as a molecular thermosensor.
  • Linked circadian clock machinery to direct temperature sensing.

Conclusions:

  • ELF3 functions as a molecular thermosensor by undergoing phase separation.
  • This mechanism provides a direct link between temperature and the circadian clock.
  • The findings open new avenues for research into thermosensation and circadian regulation.