Italian scientists have revealed that although humans are not aware of it, they have a pronounced sensitivity to ambient temperature.
- To perceive temperature, our body has thermoreceptors, which are nerve endings located in the skin.
- In the study, all participants showed pronounced sensitivity to temperature.
- The average threshold for perceiving temperature differences was 0.92°C.
Temperature plays a crucial role in our survival, because its maintenance is necessary for proper physiological functioning. To perceive temperature, our body has specialized sensory receptors called “thermoreceptors,” which are nerve endings located in the skin.
“It is interesting to note that different thermoreceptors are responsible for processing cold and hot stimuli. When one enters a hot environment, hot thermoreceptors become more active than cold thermoreceptors, and vice versa. (…) While While early research on thermal perception focused on detecting temperature changes in distinct body areas, the complex nature of thermal perception throughout the body remains a topic that is currently being analyzed. said researchers from the University of Trento (Italy).
A perceived temperature difference of 0.92°C
In a study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, they wanted to look into the issue. For this, they recruited 26 adults, more precisely 13 men and 13 women. In one experiment, participants went to four rooms with temperatures ranging from 23°C to 25°C. They then had to say which was the hottest and which was the coldest.
According to the team, 3,120 responses were collected. Data analysis revealed an average threshold for perceiving temperature differences of 0.92°C. According to Laura Battistel, lead author of the work, we all have a pronounced sensitivity to ambient temperature, even if we are not aware of it. This indicates that this may be an inherent characteristic of human beings.
“Determine a temperature range” promoting thermal comfort and a reduction in energy load
The results of the work could have potential implications for the building heating, ventilation and air conditioning sectors. “From an energy sustainability perspective, the ability to determine a temperature range in which the individual maintains their comfortable state while reducing the energy load of the building would be beneficial for us and for the planet,” explained Riccardo Parin, who supervised the study, in a statement.
In future research, scientists plan to discover how our sensory perception changes at temperatures higher or lower than those generally considered “comfortable.”
