Thermal physiology refers to the regulation of temperature as an aspect of homeostasis for the animal (Hill et al. 2016). Temperature can be sensed through thermoreception. The idea of thermoreception stems from the idea that "thermal sensations can be elicited from localized spots in the skin" (Hensel 1974). These thermoreceptors are found in the "skin, the central nervous system, and elsewhere in the body".
Mechanism
The concept of "warm" and "cold" is thought to be differentiated by the body as two different receptors (Hensel 1974). The warm receptors are only excited by "warming the skin" and the cold receptors are only excited by "cooling the skin" which allows for this distinction between the two temperatures (Darian-Smith & Johnson 1977). These receptors are afferent nerve fibers that convey the information. Working in correlation, nociceptive receptors are also activated "by both painful cold and heat stimuli" (Schepers & Ringkamp 2010). The "transient receptor potential ion channels" are "activated by temperatures over specific ranges" and this allows for the transduction of the stimuli. Since each "receptor operates over a specific temperature range" the brain is able to distinguish the temperature and the severity and degree of the temperature the receptor is exposed to. This allows for the animal to maintain thermal regulation.