nociceptor
/ˈnəʊsɪˌsɛptə
/noun Physiology
A sensory receptor for painful stimuli: the heat from eating chillies produces ‘nociceptor firing’...
- Fish, like humans, have nociceptors which detect painful stimuli that respond to chemicals, heat and pressure.
- When nociceptors detect a harmful stimulus - such as the hard surface that stubbed your toe - they relay their pain messages in the form of electrical impulses along a peripheral nerve to your spinal cord and brain.
- The transduction of noxious stimuli begins with peripheral nociceptors.
Origin
Early 20th century: from Latin nocere 'to harm' + receptor.