Thermoreception

Introduction
Environment and thermoreception
Study of thermoreceptors
Properties of thermoreceptors
Thermoreception in invertebrates
Thermoreceptors in vertebrates
- Fish
- Reptiles and amphibians
- Birds
- Mammals
  - Thermoreceptive elements
  - Thermoreceptors and pain reception
  - Neural thermoreceptive pathways
  - Behaviour and thermoregulation

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Cold-blooded animals such as lizards maintain safe body temperatures by moving into locations of favourable temperature. This behaviour is largely influenced by thermoreceptors in the skin.

An arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) with thick white fur stands on snowy ground, looking toward the camera.

Diagram of the autonomic nervous system showing the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The left side illustrates sympathetic nerves branching from the spinal cord to organs and glands, while the right side shows parasympathetic nerves connecting to organs such as the eye, heart, lungs, liver, stomach, intestines, and bladder. Color-coded pathways and labeled ganglia highlight the different nerve routes and target organs in human anatomy.

Imaging technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET) have become valuable tools in the study of human sensation. For example, PET has been used to investigate brain areas involved in thermoreception.

Diagram comparing action potential conduction in myelinated and unmyelinated axons, showing a neuron with labeled cell body, myelin sheath, nodes of Ranvier, and the flow of electrical signals along each type of axon.

Close-up of a queen European honeybee laying eggs in honeycomb cells, surrounded by worker bees inside a hive.

At a Glance

thermoreception summary

Quizzes

Male muscle, man flexing arm, bicep curl.

Facts You Should Know: The Human Body Quiz

Muscles of facial expression, human anatomy, (Netter replacement project - SSC). Human face, human head.

Characteristics of the Human Body

Related Questions

At what temperature range do many cold receptors have their strongest steady response?
At what temperature range do warm receptors have their strongest steady response?
How accurately can honeybees select their preferred temperature on a temperature gradient?
How are temperature sensations connected to pain sensations in the brain?
How can a snake's pit organ detect extremely small changes in thermal radiation?
How did scientists discover warm spots and cold spots in human skin?
How do A-fibres and C-fibres differ in the speed at which they carry temperature signals?
How do C-fibres carry temperature signals to the nervous system?
How do cockroach cold receptors respond to rapid cooling and warming?
How do ion channels in thermoreceptors trigger an action potential?
How do local anesthetics affect cold warmth touch and pain sensations?
How do menthol and capsaicin produce sensations of cold and heat?
How do mosquitoes use thermal cues to locate warm-blooded hosts?
How do rattlesnakes and pit vipers use facial pits to find warm prey?
How do shivering and vasoconstriction help conserve or produce body heat?
How do sweating and vasodilation lower body temperature?
How do thermoreceptors detect the direction and rate of a temperature change?
How does the frequency of thermoreceptor nerve impulses change during cooling?
How does the frequency of thermoreceptor nerve impulses change during warming?
How does the thalamus map temperature sensations from different body areas?
How does the thermal grill illusion create a burning sensation from warm and cool bars?
How might TRP channels help explain the silver Thaler illusion?
What causes the painful sensation produced by touching dry ice?
What is the difference between a thermoreceptor's dynamic response and static response?
What is the silver Thaler illusion?
What role does the dorsal horn of the spinal cord play in thermoreception?
What role does the thalamus play in the perception of warming and cooling?
Where are thermoreceptors found in human skin and the brain?
Which part of the cerebral cortex processes skin temperature sensations?
Which parts of the body have especially high concentrations of skin thermoreceptors?
Why are insect antennae important for thermoreception?
Why are snake pit organs more sensitive to rapid heat changes than to steady temperatures?
Why are warm receptors often located in deep tissues such as muscles and internal organs?
Why can a cordotomy eliminate temperature sensation along with pain sensation?
Why can damage to the posterior insular cortex affect temperature sensation?
Why can hot objects sometimes cause a brief sensation of cold?
Why can some thermoreceptors respond to both temperature changes and chemicals?
Why can the same cold stimulus feel pleasant when a person is overheated?
Why do cold receptors remain active at constant cool temperatures?
Why do spinal thermoreceptive neurons combine signals from many receptors across a large area of skin?
Why do thermoreceptors respond to the absolute temperature at the receptor?

Health & Medicine Anatomy & Physiology

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Thermoreception

physiology

Written by

Arthur D. Craig

Senior Staff Scientist, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.

Arthur D. CraigAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 6, 2026 •History

Thermoreception, sensory process by which different levels of heat energy (temperatures) in the environment and in the body are detected by animals. Temperature has a profound influence upon living organisms. Animal life is normally feasible only within a narrow range of body temperatures, with the extremes extending from about 0–5 °C (32–41 °F) to about 40–45 °C (104–113 °F). In animals these boundaries are marked by the physical damage imposed by extreme temperatures. For example,...

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