Jonathan tripped on a sprinkler during a game of flag football and felt a sharp pain as he broke his ankle. Later on, after he returned home from the emergency room with a new cast, he felt a dull, aching pain in his broken ankle. Which of the following is the best explanation for Jonathan's experience?
A) The sharp pain resulted from the transmission of messages along C fibers, and as the rate of signaling dropped, the quality of the pain changed to dull and aching.
B) The sharp pain resulted from the activation of nociceptors that respond to mechanical injury, whereas the dull pain resulted from the activation of nociceptors that respond to chemicals released by damaged cells.
C) The sharp pain resulted from the transmission of messages along C fibers, and the dull pain resulted from the transmission of messages along A fibers.
D) The sharp pain resulted from the transmission of messages along A fibers, and the dull pain resulted from the transmission of messages along C fibers.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sharp pain Jonathan initially felt was due to the fast transmission of pain signals through Aδ fibers, which are responsible for acute, sharp pain. The later dull, aching pain is characteristic of signals transmitted by C fibers, which convey slower, chronic, and dull pain sensations.

Jonathan Tripped on a Sprinkler During a Game of Flag