What are the five senses?
1 Answer
There are five receptor types which are based on what they respond to.
1. photoreceptors respond to light
2. pain receptors respond to tissue damage
3. thermoreceptors respond to changes in temperature
4. chemoreceptors respond to changes in chemical change
5. mechanoreceptors respond to mechanical forces
In the case of humans and other animals some of these are in special organs. These are sight, hearing/equilibrium, smell and taste. We also call these the special senses.
The sense that responds to light are found in our eyes.
Pain receptors are found as simple nerve endings throughout the body.
Thermoreceptors are also rather simple nerve endings and have two subtypes: one for cold and one for warmth.
Chemoreceptors are found as simple receptors in the carotid and aortic bodies (oxygen level) as well part of the special senses found as the taste buds on the surface of the tongue, palate and the upper part of the esophagus.
It is a myth that each taste has a special area of "taste" on the tongue.
Smell is also a special sense which discriminates while filtering out many background odors permitting higher brain areas involved in arousal and attention.
(Wikipedia)
Mechanoreceptors include more complicated ones found in the inner ear and simpler ones found as pressure receptors (touch) in tissues and stretch receptors in muscles.
In a few words: light , sound/balance , temperature, touch , pressure, taste and smell . Yes more than five.
