The axons (as afferent nerve fibers), of sensory neurons connect with, or respond toheat and pain, giving a functional name to the responding sensory neuron, such as a thermoreceptor which carries information about temperature changes.
The axons (as afferent nerve fibers), of sensory neurons connect with, or respond to, various receptor cells. These sensory receptor cells are activated by different stimuli such as heat and pain, giving a functional name to the responding sensory neuron, such as a thermoreceptor which carries information about temperature changes.