taste and smell allow us to enjoy the flavor and aroma of our favorite foods.
These five senses not only enrich our life. They also help us sense danger. For example,
being able to stay balanced on a icy sidewalk might prevent a nasty fall. Being able to hear
a fire alarm could alert us to flee from a burning building. Being able to taste and smell
might warn us that food that is spoiled and could make us sick. The sense of smell could
also warn us of dangers such as fires and gas leaks.
Being able to feel pain is especially important for preventing injury. It might not seem that
pain is a good thing–until you think about what might happen if you couldn’t feel pain.
For example, what if you couldn’t feel a hot iron? You might be badly burned before you
realized you were touching it. What if you couldn’t feel the pain of a sprained ankle? You
might keep using the ankle and make the injury worse.
Lesson Summary
- Theearsdetectsoundwavesandhelpmaintainbalance. Theskinsensespain, pressure,
and temperature. - Sensory cells on the tongue and in the nose detect tastes and smells.
- The senses of hearing, balance, touch, taste, and smell enrich our life and help keep us
safe.
Further Reading / Supplemental Links
CK12 High SchoolBiology,Chapter 35.
Autumn Libal. The Ocean Inside: Youth Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.Mason Crest
Publishers, 2007.
Body Atlas.Nerves, Brain and Senses.Ticktock Media Ltd., 2004.
Donald B. Light.The Senses.Chelsea House Publications, 2004.
Elaine Landau.The Sense of Touch.Children’s Press, 2008.
Review Questions
- What are the two main functions of the ears?
- Which structure in the ear changes sound waves in air to vibrations?