Thermosensation
Thermoception
Sensation and perception of temperature
In physiology, thermoception or thermoreception is the sensation and perception of temperature, or more accurately, temperature differences inferred from heat flux. It deals with a series of events and processes required for an organism to receive a temperature stimulus, convert it to a molecular signal, and recognize and characterize the signal in order to trigger an appropriate defense response.
Thermoception in larger animals is mainly done in the skin; mammals have at least two types. The details of how temperature receptors work are still being investigated. Ciliopathy is associated with decreased ability to sense heat; thus cilia may aid in the process.[1] Transient receptor potential channels (TRP channels)[lower-alpha 1] are believed to play a role in many species in sensation of hot, cold, and pain. Vertebrates have at least two types of sensor: those that detect heat and those that detect cold.[4]