Biology / Unit 12 Bio 2883 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Thermoreception
Captions available
The idea
Thermoreceptors, including cold-detecting Krause end bulbs and warmth-detecting Ruffini endings, detect temperature along pathways that also carry pain signals to the brain.
In practice
A stimulus that starts as tolerable heat can rapidly become perceived as pain once its intensity crosses a threshold.
Where people slip
Cold detectors sit nearer the skin surface than warmth detectors, which is why cold registers before warmth at the same intensity.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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