Final answer:
Thinly myelinated A-delta fibers and unmyelinated C fibers are responsible for sensing sharp pain and cold in the lateral dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Pain is detected by nociceptors responding to potentially damaging stimuli, including cold temperatures, while the sensation of cold is mediated by specific thermoreceptors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of nerve fibers that sense sharp pain and cold in the lateral dorsal horn of the spinal cord are thinly myelinated A-delta fibers and unmyelinated C fibers. Nociceptive sensory neurons, which detect pain due to potentially damaging stimuli, are responsible for the sensation of sharp pain. These are contrasted with A-beta fibers, which mediate the sensation of light touch, pressure, and proprioception, and are not associated with pain perception. In terms of cold, specific cold-sensitive thermoreceptors on free nerve endings are activated by temperatures below skin temperature, which then travel through pathways like the spinothalamic tract to the brain for processing.
Considering the context provided, nociception responds to potentially damaging stimuli, which includes thermal stimuli such as extreme cold (option d), rather than deep, fleeting pressure, fine touch or injured stimuli, even though injured stimuli can result in pain through the release of chemicals activating nociceptors.