1) According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), pain is "An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage ". In addition to this definition, the IASP has also added an extensive list of side notes to help clarify what pain is. The list includes: Pain is subjective. For this reason this definition does not link pain to the stimulus. Different people react to a stimulus in various ways. Likewise, the same person may respond differently to the same stimulus under different emotional circumstances. Individuals are taught what to associate the word “pain” with through childhood experiences. Therefore pain can be influenced by culture. Stimuli that cause pain can damage tissue. Pain is also an emotional experience. People experience pain without any physical trauma, so pain is also a psychological concern. If someone claims to be in pain, even without physical signs, they should be treated as if they are in pain. (Merskey and Bogduk, 2012) Although it is considered an unpleasant experience, pain can be very beneficial: it acts as an alarm mechanism to alert us to danger, both from an external and internal point of view. source. By being aware of the danger we can react accordingly to avoid or limit the damage caused to the body. 2) When tissue is damaged, it is registered by pain receptors (nociceptors) in the skin. Pain receptors form one end of a neuron which is connected to the other end in the spinal cord via axon. When activated, nociceptors send an electrical signal along the neuron to the spinal cord. In the part of the spinal cord called the dorsal horn, chemical transmitters (neurotransmitters) ca...... middle of paper...... pain (nociception) occurs. This overrides the inhibitory neuron and the signal is sent to the brain (the gate is open). Information from the brain can travel down projection neurons and inhibit pain perception (closing the gate). This theory explains why, if you rub or shake your hand after a minor injury, you can reduce the perception of pain. Merskey, H. and Bogduk, N.IASP Taxonomy - IASPIn the text: (Merskey and Bogduk, 2012)Bibliography: Merskey, H. and Bogduk, N. 2012. IASP Taxonomy - IASP. [online] Available at: https://www.iasp-pain.org/Education/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1698 [Accessed: 1 April 2014].Mydr.com.au.Pain and how you perceive it - myDr. com.au In text: (Mydr.com.au, 2007) Bibliography: Mydr.com.au. 2007. Pain and how you feel it - myDr.com.au. [online] Available at: http://www.mydr.com.au/pain/pain-and-how-you-sense-it [Accessed: 1 April 2014].