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. 1969 Feb;200(2):403–430. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008701

Cutaneous thermoreceptors in primates and sub-primates

A Iggo
PMCID: PMC1350475  PMID: 4974402

Abstract

1. Cutaneous thermoreceptors were examined electrophysiologically in primates (monkey, baboon) and in sub-primates (dog and rat) by recording from single units dissected from peripheral nerves.

2. Thermal stimuli were delivered from thermodes in contact with the skin.

3. Primate `cold' receptors had spot-like receptive fields and were found in both hairy and glabrous skin. The conduction velocities of the axons ranged from 0·6 to 15·3 m/sec.

4. The discharge from the primate receptors characteristically appeared in bursts with intervals of silence within the range temperatures of 18-40° C. Static and dynamic sensitivity curves were established, with maxima about 30° C.

5. Cold receptors in the lip of the dog had maximal sensitivity at 31-37° C. The axons were myelinated with conduction velocities less than 20 m/sec.

6. `Warm' receptors, with maximal sensitivity at 40° C and non-myelinated axons, were abundant in the scrotal nerve of the rat. The `cold' receptors had maximal responses at 23-28° C.

7. The `spurious' thermoreceptor behaviour of slowly adapting mechanoreceptors is described and the way in which they may distort integrated potential records from whole nerves is analysed.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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