Nervous message - nerves sensing heat & mechanical movement

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around how mechanical and thermal stimuli are transformed into electrical signals by sensory neurons. It explores the mechanisms behind this transformation and the nature of the signals transmitted through the nervous system.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that all messages in the nervous system are transmitted via action potentials, which travel along nerve pathways and are interpreted by the brain.
  • Others explain that mechanosensitive ion channels in neurons respond to mechanical deformation, allowing ions to cross the membrane and convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals.
  • Temperature-sensitive neurons are discussed as having ion channels that respond to temperature changes, specifically mentioning the TRP family of ion channels.
  • A later reply notes that while the molecules responsible for sensing mechanical and temperature stimuli have been identified, the exact molecular mechanisms remain unclear and are under active investigation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints on the mechanisms of sensory signal transformation, with some agreement on the role of ion channels, but no consensus on the clarity of the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Contextual Notes

The discussion acknowledges limitations in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in sensory signal transformation, indicating that this is an area of ongoing research.

Mohamad&Issa
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Nervous message -- nerves sensing heat & mechanical movement

As we know when we stimulate a nerve, there is a message form of electric nature.
But I want to ask how mechanical or heat or... stimulation is transformed into electric message?
 
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All messages are transmitted the same way through the nervous fibers. When the nerve fiber is stimulated it creates an action potential that travels along the nerve pathway, or depending on the structure will jump quickly along the nerve generating action potentials at the node of ranvier. The message then travels to the brain where it is interpreted and transformed into a message that our body understands. i.e. heat, movement, electrical stimulation. I hope that answers the question. Please let me know.
 


Mohamad&Issa said:
As we know when we stimulate a nerve, there is a message form of electric nature.
But I want to ask how mechanical or heat or... stimulation is transformed into electric message?

The key web search term would be "sensory neurons":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_neuron

.
 


The neurons responsible for sensing mechanical stimuli contain mechanosensitive ion channels that open and close in response to the mechanical deformation of the sensory neuron's membrane. The opening and closing of these channels will allow ions to cross the membrane, change the membrane potential of the neuron, and convert the mechanical sensation into an electrical signal.

Similarly temperature sensitive neurons contain temperature-sensitive ion channels whose opening and closing are modulated by temperature. These channels are primarily from the TRP family of ion channels.

While the molecules responsible for the sensation of mechanical and temperature stimuli have been identified, the molecular mechanisms by which they sense these stimuli is still unclear and is an active area of research.
 

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