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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."
If my girlfriend's nipples are hard enough to etch glass, then the temperature is "cold."
...you really see all the surprises God, the lord, and savior Jesus Christ left us on Earth with everyday! Right? Slashdotters? Anyone?
to reach these conclusions? Stop animal torture and speciesism.
As the island of our knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.