Final answer:
The claim about the periodontal ligament is false; it is equipped with sensory fibers via the trigeminal nerve, not the occipital nerve, and contains nociceptors and thermoreceptors for sensing pain, pressure, and heat.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the periodontal ligament can perceive sensations of pain, pressure, and heat because it is equipped with sensory nerve fibers via the occipital nerve is False. The nerve actually involved with these sensations is the trigeminal nerve, not the occipital nerve. The periodontal ligament contains free nerve endings that are responsible for the transmission of painful and thermal stimuli to the central nervous system.
These nerve endings are categorized as nociceptors (for pain) and thermoreceptors (for temperature), reacting to stimuli such as mechanical damage, temperature changes, and chemical stimuli from damaged tissue. For example, capsaicin from spicy foods binds to a receptor in nociceptors, triggering a sensation of heat or pain.