Scientists Identify How the Body Senses Cold

Vicissidude writes with a link to a story on the Nature website, discussing the discovery of a protein that may enable us to sense cold temperatures. It's been pinned down in mice, and the same protein may perform a similar function in humans. Mice rely on a single protein, called TRPM8, to sense both cold temperatures and menthol, the compound that gives mints their cool sensation. The sensor also controls the pain-relieving effect of cool temperatures, but does not seem to play an important role in the response to painfully cold temperatures below 10 C. TRPM8 is in the same family as the protein that detects heat and capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers hot. These proteins lie in the cell membranes of select neurons, and form channels that open and close in response to external signals."

Comments

Re:No problem with sensing cold

[idesofmarch]

I realize you are joking, but from a survival perspective, it is very useful to be able to detect gradual changes in temperature, so you are not surprised when you freeze to death.

Dating service

[ushering05401]

Apparently this protein enables the body's reactions to cold including motivating feelings of numbness/pain in response to cold temps.

This must not be a one-size-fits-all type thing. I spent my first four Winters in VT wearing only light jackets even in the middle of winter.

Some research would be nice to discover if you can test for sensitivity levels. If so, it would also be nice to have someone incorporate that testing into a dating service. My (beloved) lady cranks the heaters all but about three months out of the year and it just might be the end of me.

I now have to wear heavy jackets throughout the winter to keep myself from going into shock over the temp differentials.

I guess you could incorporate this ability into research into Seasonal Affectation Disorder as well. I hear that motivates a good number of suicides every year, and treatment would inprove if you could show a quantifiable correlation between sensitivity to temperature and seasonal depression.

Regards.

Re:Dating service

[lawpoop]

In an anthropology class, we learned that people with European backgrounds have an adaptation to the cold that those of African descent do not.

When 'white' people get cold, the circulatory system goes through cycles of vasodilation that temporarily increase bloodflow to the skin, warming your body and face. IIRC, they happen about every 40 minutes to an hour.

Blacks also radiate more heat through the skin and respiratory system, which means they also get colder more quickly. A long nose with small nostrils warms the air better when it enters the nose, and also prevents heat loss as the air leaves the nose.

This was discovered when the US army was doing cold training exercises in the 50s, I think in Alaska. This was in preparation with war with Russia. The white soldiers lasted longer in the cold than did black soldiers on the whole. Of course, there was a lot of mixing of different genomes -- a lot of blacks in the US has some European ancestry -- so it's not like it's 'black and white' so to speak. I'm not aware of any testing on other racial groups.

I've never been able to confirm this story on the internet, so new research may have disproved it ;)

Of shivering, brains, body, and substances

[G4from128k]

Not to detract from the joke, but this isn't true on two levels. First, shivering is the response to a low core body temperature, not the "sensing" of it. Something else in the body is senses the drop in body temperature and triggers the shivering. It may be the way that the conscious brain "senses cold" but its not the way that the body does it. Second, this protein is not for detecting low body temperatures, it is for detecting "cold" surfaces and substances. TFA says this protein triggers at 27 C which is far too cold for use in the shivering mechanism (which triggers at about 35 C).

Re:Use of this research

[Original Replica]

Pain relief, then, perhaps

I wonder if it reduces swelling by tricking the body into restricting the blood flow to the "cold" area.

Re:No problem with sensing cold

[rapidweather]

When you get older, there is a "fat" layer under your skin that, for the most part, disappears.
That's why old ladies, and men, show the "veins" through the skin, and "look ugly", more or less.
That "fat" layer is what insulates younger people from the cold, and enables them to swim in cold water, for instance. Older people can no longer do that, without the cold hurting quite a bit.
So, older people really like those sweaters, etc. that you send them for Christmas. It's one of the joys of old age to dress warmly in cold weather, with wool socks, hats, and so forth.
I heard that the elderly population in Alaska is very small, those who can afford it have moved to Florida.

Adding my two cents worth, as you can tell, I did not RTFA.

- Rapidweather

Re:Use of this research

[Mspangler]

"I'm trying to find a possible practical use of this research but can't think of any."

you can turn off the cold sensitivity in my teeth any time.

And yes, I'll pay for the privilege.

Nerves in teeth other than pressure sensors. Dumbest idea ever.

Finally, proof for the argument...

[greylingrover]

...that I've been telling my wife for years, that when she's cold (which is always), she just needs some extra "protein."

Men around the world, rejoice!

[ducking] ;)

Shivers?

[Scorchmon]

I hope with this discovery we can finally start to close in on the actual source behind those confounding piss shivers.