Temperature. Flashcards
Where in the body are thermoceptors located?
Close to the surface of the skin.
What are the 3 main types of thermoceptor?
Cold receptors.
Warm receptors.
Pain receptors.
What kind of nerve fibres do cold receptors have?
Free nerve endings or A delta sensory fibres.
What kind of nerve fibres do warm receptors have?
Free nerve endings or C fibres.
What will each thermoreceptor respond to?
Each receptor has a specific temperature range that it will respond to.
Do thermoreceptors have different temperature ranges that they respond to?
Yes.
Are some thermoreceptors ligand gated ion channels?
Yes, this is why hot foods cause the burning sensation.
How do the pain receptors associated with temperature function?
They sense tissue damage from hot or cold substances.
Will thermoreceptors adapt quickly to changes in temperature?
Yes.
E.g. Jumping into a pool you feel the cold temperature much more at first and then it dulls.
Thermoception will run up what tract in the spinal cord?
The spinothalamic tract.
What part of the brain will thermoception travel to?
The somatosensory cortex.
What animals have a pit organ?
Snakes.
What is a pit organ?
A heat sensing organ situated between the eyes and nostrils.
What is the pit organ sensitive to?
Infra red thermal radiation.
What does a pit organ allow snakes to detect?
Prey.
