- Recently, two United States-based scientists,Ā David JuliusĀ andĀ ArdemPatapoutian,Ā have been awarded theĀ 2021Ā Nobel Prize for Physiology/Medicine for theirĀ discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch.
- They have focused their work on theĀ field of somatosensation, that is the ability of specialised organs such as eyes, ears and skin to see, hear and feel.
Important points:
David Julius:
- He discoveredĀ TRPV1,Ā aĀ heat-sensing receptor.
- His findings on theĀ skinās sense of temperatureĀ was based on how certain cells react toĀ capsaicin, the molecule that makes chili peppers spicy, by simulating a false sensation of heat.
ArdemPatapoutian:
- He discovered twoĀ mechanosensitive ion channelsĀ known as theĀ Piezo channels.
- TheĀ Piezo1Ā is named after the Greek word forĀ pressure, āpĆesiā.
- He is credited for finding theĀ cellular mechanismĀ and theĀ underlying geneĀ thatĀ translates a mechanical force on our skin into an electric nerve signal.
Significance:
- The findings have allowed us toĀ understand how heat, cold and mechanical force can initiate the nerve impulsesĀ that allow us to perceive and adapt to the world around us.
- This knowledge is beingĀ used to develop treatments for a wide range of diseaseĀ conditions, including chronic pain.
- SomatosensationĀ is a collective term for the sensations of touch, temperature, body position, and pain recognized through neural receptors in the skin and certain internal organs.
- It includes processes such asā mechanoreception, thermoreception, proprioception.
- Mechanosensitive channelsĀ are fascinating proteins, being able to serve both as sensors and effectors.
- Embedded in membranes, they convert mechanical stimuli such as in-plane membrane tension and curvature into electrical or biochemical signals, leading to regulation of a wide repertoire of cellular processes allowing adaptive response.
SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT