Anoxious stimulusis astimulusstrong enough to threaten the body's integrity (i.e. cause damage totissue). Noxious stimulation induces peripheralafferentsresponsible fortransducingpain (includingA-deltaandC-nerve fibers, as well asfree nerve endings) throughout thenervous systemof an organism.
The ability to perceive noxious stimuli is a prerequisite fornociception,which itself is a prerequisite fornociceptive pain.[1]A noxious stimulus has been seen to drivenocifensivebehavioral responses, which are responses to noxious or painful stimuli. These includereflexive,escape behaviors,to avoid harm to an organism's body.
Because of rare genetic conditions that inhibit the ability to perceive physical pain, such ascongenital insensitivity to pain and anhydrosis (CIPA),noxious stimulation does not invariably lead to tissue damage.[1]
Noxious stimuli can either bemechanical(e.g.pinchingor other tissuedeformation),chemical(e.g. exposure toacidorirritant), orthermal(e.g. high or lowtemperatures).
There are some types of tissue damage that are not detected by anysensory receptors,and thus cannot cause pain. Therefore, not all noxious stimuli are adequate stimuli ofnociceptors.The adequate stimuli of nociceptors are termednociceptive stimuli.
References
edit- ^abLoeser, John D.; Treede, Rolf D. (2008)."The Kyoto protocol of IASP Basic Pain Terminology".Pain.137(3): 473–7.doi:10.1016/j.pain.2008.04.025.PMID18583048.S2CID19538321.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-01-21.Retrieved2022-03-07.