Smell, Taste, Touch, and Other Senses

How many senses do you have? Although most people would say five senses, there are more than the basic five of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. It is true that you more readily notice these five senses. However, there are also additional senses, including kinesthetic, which involves the ability to sense the movement of your limbs, and vestibular, which involves the ability to determine your position in space.

In this topic, you will explore information about the remaining senses, and how they combine to help give you important information about the world, and your place in it at any given moment. As the senses work together, they make your experiences richer and more detailed than if you perceived information from one sense alone.

Essential Questions

• How do the chemical senses of taste and smell differ from other senses and how do these combine to generate the experience of taste?
• How do the vestibular and kinesthetic senses help with balance and movement?