NERVE AS MODEL TEMPERATURE END ORGAN

Abstract

Rapid local cooling of mammalian nerve sets up a discharge which is preceded by a local temperature potential, the cooled region being electronegative relative to a normal portion of the nerve. Heating the nerve locally above its normal temperature similarly makes the heated region electronegative relative to a region at normal temperature, and again a discharge is set up from the heated region. These local temperature potentials, set up by the nerve itself, are held to serve as "generator potentials" and the mechanism found is regarded as the prototype for temperature end organs.