Certain stimuli, including thermal, tactile and painful stimuli, are sensed by the skin through a very dense network of nerve endings connected to the spinal cord and the brain. These nerve endings are irregularly distributed throughout the body.
The sensation of cold is more intense than the sensation of heat. These sensations lead to reflex reactions: cold causes the hair to stand on end, while heat causes the respiration rate to increase so that more water will evaporate from the tongue.
The same type of nerve network exists for the sense of touch and is concentrated at the base of the hairs. Not all hairs are equally sensitive. The vibrissae (whiskers), long hairs on the muzzle, eyebrows and chin, are particularly rich in nerve endings.
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