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神经系统是如何感觉冷热的 能够模仿冷或热的感觉的自然产品是了解神经系统是如何探测温度的关键。辣椒素（提取自红辣椒）可通过激发一个也能对热产生响应的离子通道产生烧痛的感觉。在本期《自然》杂志上,关于一种薄荷醇受体的克隆工作的研究论文可解释为什么薄荷能让人产生一种冰凉的感觉:原因是该受体还可被冷所激发。辣椒素和薄荷醇受体之间在结构上的
How the nervous system feels hot and cold A natural product that mimics the feeling of cold or hot is the key to understanding how the nervous system detects temperature. Capsaicin (extracted from chili peppers) produces a burning sensation by stimulating an ion channel that also responds to heat. In this issue of Nature, a research paper on the cloning of a menthol receptor explains why peppermint can give people a cold sensation: the reason is that the receptor is also stimulated by cold. Capsaicin and menthol receptors are structurally related