The Seven Senses

The Seven Senses:

Sight

The capability of the eyes to focus and detect images of visible light and generate nerve impulses for varying color, hues, and brightness
Visual perception is how the brain processes these visual impulses – recognizing, differentiating, and interpreting visual stimuli through comparison with experiences made either in life
An example is, a child seeing the sun rise, seeing their friends/family, or the words on the board in school

Taste (Gustation)

The capability to detect the taste of substances such as food and certain minerals (five basic tastes: sweet, bitter, salty, sour, and umami)
Humans receive tastes through sensory organs called taste buds concentrated on the upper surface of the tongue
An example is, a child enjoying the taste of chocolate ice cream or salty potato chips

Hearing (Audition)

The ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations, changes in pressure of the surrounding medium through time, through the ear
Auditory processing relies on how the brain interprets, recognizes, and differentiates sound stimuli
An example is, a child listening to music or listening to their teacher give directions for an assignment

Smell (Olfaction)

The ability to detect scents such as chemical or odor molecules in the air
The olfactory system begins in the noses which has hundreds of olfactory receptors
An example is, a child smelling a cake being baked or smelling perfume

Touch (Somatosensory)

The perception resulting from activation of neural receptors, generally in the skin and a variety of pressure receptors respond to variations in pressure such as firm to soft
The system works when a sensory receptor is triggered by a specific stimulus (such as heat) and the signal is sent to the brain allowing the processed stimulus to be felt at the appropriate body location
An example is, a child touching something hot and removing their hand or feeling the touch of their mother’s hug

Vestibular

Explains the perception of our body in relation to gravity, movement, and balance (examples of this system in practice include knowing that you are moving in an elevator and knowing if you’re lying down or sitting up)
This system measures acceleration, g-force, body movements, and head position
If the vestibular system is not in equilibrium, vertigo, dizziness, imbalance, visual disturbances, and spatial disorientation can occur

Proprioception

Allows our bodies to feel force, heaviness, and the sense of effort
This system allows us to know where our body parts are in space, how we are positioned in space, and allow us to have a plan to our bodily movements
Examples of this system working include, being able to clap our hands together with our eyes closed and being able to navigate ourselves through a narrow space
Proprioception dysfunction can be seen in a child writing too hard, playing rough, poor motor planning, frequently bumping into people/objects or wearing tight clothes