Avi broke his ankle skiing. At first, he felt a sharp and intense pain. The next day, the sharp pain was gone, but his ankle throbbed almost all of the time. The sharp immediate pain was due to ____________; the later throbbing pain was due to ____________.
A) nonmyelinated axons; myelinated axons
B) myelinated axons; nonmyelinated axons
C) pain receptors; pressure receptors
D) pressure receptors; pain receptors

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Myelinated axons conduct signals faster and are responsible for the sharp immediate pain, while nonmyelinated axons conduct signals more slowly and are responsible for the throbbing pain that persists over time. Therefore, sharp immediate pain is due to myelinated axons, and later throbbing pain is due to nonmyelinated axons.

Avi Broke His Ankle Skiing