| Free nerve ending | |
|---|---|
 Illustration of free nerve endings | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | terminatio neuralis libera |
| TH | H3.11.06.0.00002 |
| FMA | 84005 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
A free nerve ending (FNE) or bare nerve ending, is an unspecialized, afferent nerve fiber sending its signal to a sensory neuron. Afferent in this case means bringing information from the body's periphery toward the brain. They function as cutaneous nociceptors and are essentially used by vertebrates to detect noxious stimuli that often result in pain.