| Throughout any given day humans see, touch, | | | | ache or clogged ear and felt off balance? This is |
| feel, hear, and smell multiple times. Rarely do we | | | | because the inner ear maintains your equilibrium. |
| stop and think about what each sense really | | | | Sound information is passed from the inner ear to |
| means and how it works. Luckily this article | | | | the brain and depends on the brain to identify the |
| isn’t about the anatomy of the five senses | | | | given sound. |
| but instead about some little known facts you | | | | Smelling/Tasting |
| may not be aware of. | | | | It takes up to 10 million small receptors to smell |
| Seeing | | | | roughly 10,000 different odors! Unlike your smell |
| Have you ever watched a movie where someone | | | | receptors, taste buds decrease from 10,000 at |
| is entering into a high security place and in order | | | | birth to roughly 5,000 by the time you are old. |
| to enter they have to press their hand against a | | | | Smell and taste are extremely dependent on each |
| glass? Did you know the same could be done with | | | | other, taste making up about 80% of smell. |
| your eye! The two main components of the eye | | | | Touch |
| are the iris and retina which are as unique as your | | | | We now know what the smallest bone is in the |
| fingerprint. Irises give the eye its color and retinas | | | | body but what is the largest organ? Your skin! |
| provide depth and distinction between light and | | | | Bet you didn’t consider your skin an organ, |
| dark. Retinas are made up of millions of muscles | | | | did you? While the human head weighs roughly 8 |
| that open the pupil. You may have noticed your | | | | lbs, skin weighs anywhere from 6-10 lbs. Did you |
| pupil becomes larger and smaller when moving | | | | know that touch is mostly designed to detect |
| from light to dark places. Quite the workout, | | | | pain? Receptors found in the skin detect hot or |
| don’t you think? | | | | cold and pressure or movement. |
| Hearing | | | | The human body utilizes muscles, nerves, |
| Our ear is made up of three different bones that | | | | receptors, and bones to bring all five senses to |
| happen to be the smallest bones in our entire | | | | life. While not all of the senses are dependent on |
| body. These bones include the anvil, stirrup, and | | | | each other, all senses have to work with the brain |
| hammer. These bones pass sound from the ear | | | | to send information and identify the image, sound, |
| drum to the inner ear. Have you ever had an ear | | | | smell, taste, or touch. |