nociception

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nociception

biology

Also known as: nociperception, pain perception

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July 1, 2026

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Nociception is the biological process of detecting and responding to stimuli that are likely to damage body tissues. It is distinct from the sensation of pain, though pain is a significant part of the nociceptive response. Nociceptors are specialized receptors, often found in the skin, that sense harmful mechanical, thermal, or chemical stimuli.123

When nociceptors are activated, they send signals through the nervous system. This can trigger reflex actions, such as withdrawing from a harmful stimulus, and autonomic responses like increased heart rate and blood pressure. While nociception serves as a warning mechanism to protect the body from injury, the experience of pain is subjective and influenced by psychological and environmental factors.14

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human nervous system
Tissues
…it is not equivalent to nociception, the perception of forces likely to damage the tissues of the body. Nociception can occur without pain and vice versa; also, the sensation of pain is only a part of the total act of nociception. There are reflex effects as well, such as a…
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…it is not equivalent to nociception, the perception of forces likely to damage the tissues of the body. Nociception can occur without pain and vice versa; also, the sensation of pain is only a part of the total act of nociception. There are reflex effects as well, such as a…
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fibromyalgia
Because the pain response is amplified in fibromyalgia patients, what they perceive as painful stimuli is normally perceived as painless in healthy individuals.
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Because the pain response is amplified in fibromyalgia patients, what they perceive as painful stimuli is normally perceived as painless in healthy individuals.
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human sensory reception
Basic features of sensory structures
, for chemical odours), and nociceptors (for painful stimuli). This classification is useful because it makes clear that various sense organs can share common features in the way they convert (transduce) stimulus energy into nerve impulses. Thus, auditory cells and vestibular (balance) receptors in the ear and some receptors in…
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, for chemical odours), and nociceptors (for painful stimuli). This classification is useful because it makes clear that various sense organs can share common features in the way they convert (transduce) stimulus energy into nerve impulses. Thus, auditory cells and vestibular (balance) receptors in the ear and some receptors in…
Read More

pain
Theories of pain
Sherrington introduced the term nociception to describe the pain response to such stimuli. Specificity theory suggested that individuals who reported pain in the absence of an evident cause were delusional, neurotically obsessed, or malingering (often the conclusion of military surgeons or those treating workmen’s compensation cases). Another theory, which…
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Sherrington introduced the term nociception to describe the pain response to such stimuli. Specificity theory suggested that individuals who reported pain in the absence of an evident cause were delusional, neurotically obsessed, or malingering (often the conclusion of military surgeons or those treating workmen’s compensation cases). Another theory, which…
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thermoreception
Thermoreceptors and pain reception
Histological analyses indicate that a cold-sensitive spot is innervated by a thin, myelinated nerve fibre that penetrates the dermis and divides into several unmyelinated branches about 70 μm beneath the skin surface. The tips of these branches are embedded in small concavities on…
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Histological analyses indicate that a cold-sensitive spot is innervated by a thin, myelinated nerve fibre that penetrates the dermis and divides into several unmyelinated branches about 70 μm beneath the skin surface. The tips of these branches are embedded in small concavities on…
Read More