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Introduction to Special Senses definitions

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  • General senses
    Senses distributed throughout the body, including temperature, pain, and pressure.
  • Special senses
    Senses located in specific organs in the head, including vision, smell, taste, hearing, and equilibrium.
  • Vision
    The sense that measures electromagnetic radiation, perceived as brightness and color.
  • Olfactory epithelium
    Tissue in the nasal cavity responsible for detecting chemical properties perceived as odors.
  • Gustation
    The sense of taste, detecting chemical properties of food as sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.
  • Cochlea
    A spiral-shaped organ in the ear that detects pressure waves, perceived as sound.
  • Equilibrium
    The sense that measures movement and gravity, helping determine orientation and balance.
  • Electromagnetic radiation
    Energy waves, including light, that are detected by the eyes for vision.
  • Olfactory bulb
    A brain structure connected to the olfactory epithelium, processing smell information.
  • Taste buds
    Sensory organs on the tongue that detect the five basic tastes.
  • Semicircular canals
    Structures in the inner ear involved in detecting rotational movement for balance.
  • Vestibule
    Part of the inner ear that helps sense linear movement and gravity for balance.
  • Brightness
    The intensity of electromagnetic radiation perceived by the eyes.
  • Color
    A perception based on the wavelength of light entering the eyes.
  • Pressure waves
    Vibrations in the air detected by the ear, perceived as sound.