What is PAIN?

What is PAIN?

Pain is a feeling that everyone on earth can relate to, whether it's a stubbed toe or a broken limb, pain is felt and hated by all. However what is the use of pain and why do we feel pain?

Source : http://smartmeetings.com

Firstly pain is felt as a result to a stimulant, for example  burning yourself on a candle. This causes the stimulation of a pain receptor. When activated the pain receptor releases  chemicals called neurotransmitters that send the information about the stimulus ,along the nerves, to the brain and spinal cord. The brain or spinal cord then produce signals that trigger a response.  This is called a reflex arc.
Anyone who has accidentally put their hand on a hot object  knows all too well about the response they produce; the immediate impulse to pull away is over whelming. This response, at its simplest, is a mechanism that our bodies have evolved to alert us to injury. This response stops us from injuring ourselves any further and is an extremely efficient way for us to respond quickly to stop damage to ourselves.

But enough about PHYSICAL PAIN, we also feel EMOTIONAL PAIN. Emotional pain is also felt by everybody on earth but why do we feel emotional pain?

When you physically hurt yourself your anterior cingulated cortex is simulated (a part of your brain). Strangely enough when you endure emotional pain ,like falling out with a best friend or breaking up , this part of the brain is also activated.  So physical and emotional pain are linked in some way. From an evolutionary perspective, anything that increases our chance of survival  is likely to be passed on. Therefore being able to have and maintain social relationships must have been a very useful trait for our survival. It's like having more members to look out for you and help you. This is why generally speaking humans do not want to be socially alone. The pain we feel , whether physical or emotional, has evolved in us in order to increase our survival .

As Always, Seemal 
P.S Sorry for the lack of posting, I've had a lot of exams recently. However never fear, I will soon be posting regularly!