system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Do the ants I'm flicking off of my backyard table feel pain?
gpt
No, they do not feel pain. Whilst invertebrates do possess nociceptive ability (the detection of noxious stimuli), they do not experience pain as we, mammals, do. Pain is a multifactorial experience in response to potential or actual tissue damage which has a sensory and affective components. This relies on the integration and summation of multiple different neuronal pathways. Simply put, insects do not possess the neuronal capability to experience pain which includes key aspects of the pain aspect - notably the feeling of discomfort and displeasure.
Whilst they may withdraw from noxious stimuli (such as heat), this does not equate to the experience of pain.