What Are the Functions of the Five Senses?
Quick Answer
The five senses include sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Sight involves allowing the body to observe objects as images, while hearing is done through sounds, and touch is through skin sensations. Taste and smell are observing information through specific flavors or distinct aromas.
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The images observed through sight are viewed through the eye. The structure of the eye acts as a lens to filter out light and color. Images are transmitted to the brain through the optic nerve.
The ear is the organ in which the sense of hearing is observed. The design of the ear allows for sounds to travel within it. The sounds are transmitted as vibrations across a small series of bones called the malleus, incus and staples. The auditory nerve then transmits the vibrations to the brain for interpretation.
The sense of taste takes place within the mouth, through the use of taste buds. Taste buds are found primarily on the tongue. The four basic tastes that are detected are salty, sweet, bitter and sour. Nerves are located at the base of the taste buds, which send the information to the brain.
The nose is responsible for the sense of smell. Mucous membranes located within the nose relay messages to the brain with information.
The skin contains nerve endings that send information regarding the sense of touch to the brain. Cold, heat, contact and pain are four different types of sensations observed through the skin.
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