Touch, Taste,
Smell, Balance
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/c
ontent/senses/touch/
Touch
Touch
receptors are on the skin
Skin is the largest & heaviest organ (20
sq. ft. & 6 lbs.)
Organ: several types of tissues
functioning together, so yes it’s an
organ
All skin sensation if a combination of:
Pain, warmth, cold, and pressure
Why Can’t I Tickle Myself?
 Brain
is more sensitive to unexpected
stimulation
 Produces less sensory cortex activation
when you do it to yourself
Taste

Bumps on your tongue are called papillae; CAN SEE




Tucked inside are tiny nerve endings (taste buds) CAN’T SEE
Each taste bud is sensitive to one flavor
Five different tastes:

Salty, sweet, sour, bitter & umami (meaty flavor)

Spicy is not a flavor, it triggers pain receptors in our mouth
Taste buds are replaced weekly

3 ways to permanently kill taste buds

Receptor sends info to thalamus

In order to taste, we must be able to smell!
Sensory Interaction

When one sense influences another sense!
Smell
5
million cells in each nasal cavity
 Olfactory bulb gathers messages but DOES NOT
SEND IT TO THE THALAMUS!!!!
 Instead of thalamus
 Nerve fibers from olfactory bulb connect to
amygdala and then the hippocampus
 That’s why odors evoke memories and feelings!
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Sensory adaptation
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Who is more sensitive? Men or women?
Kinesthetic Sense

Sensing the position &
movement of individual
body parts

muscles and joints
Vestibular Sense

Balance


Semicircular canals.
Fluid movement=dizzy feeling
What purpose does pain serve?

Body’s way of telling you
something is wrong.
CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR
IMMEDIATELY

Pain travels up your spine

You will not feel pain until it is
processed by the brain (reflex)

Some people naturally have more
endorphins than others

External stimulus

Internal stimulus
Sensation of pain depends on:
Physiology
Experiences
Attention
Why do we rub around the area?
Presence of others
Since
pain is in the brain, diverting the
brain’s attention brings relief