Download The Other Senses

The Other Senses
Smell
Taste
Kinesthetic and Vestibular
Sensations of Motion
Skin Senses
Pain
Smell
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Parts of the nose are
directly connected to
the amygdala and
hippocampus
Smell often plays a
large part in
determining our likes
and dislikes
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Anyone remember the
facial expression
associated with
disgust?
Animals with the best
sense of smell walk
on all fours
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Their heads are close
to the ground!
Yuck!
Another
smelly
diaper…
Detecting Common Odors
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Odorant binding
protein (OBP)
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Produced in nasal
gland
Activates sense of
smell
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Olfactory epithelium
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Patch of tissue in
each nasal cavity
where receptors are
located
OBP is sprayed
through a duct at tip of
nose that binds with
airborne molecules
Olfactory bulb
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Recodes information
from the axons in the
epithelium
SMELL CENTER OF
THE BRAIN
From here information
travels along the
olfactory tract to the
temporal lobe and
brain core
How does your sense
of smell adapt?
Human Olfactory System
Axons from
receptors carry
nerve impulse to
olfactory bulb
Molecules from
flower reach
receptor cells high
in nasal cavity
Olfactory bulb
transmits impulses
to the brain
Communicating with Pheromones
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Pheromones
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Chemical molecule
that communicates
information to other
members of a species
and influences
behavior
Stimulate receptors in
the vomeronasal
organ (VNO)
VNO then sends
messages to another
olfactory bulb
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VNO activates
hypothalamus and
amygdala
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Involved with
reproduction and
defensive behavior
Pheromones can
help us distinguish
another animal’s
identity and level of
stress
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Hamsters use
pheromones to avoid
aggressive and sexial
contact with family!
Taste
Can you explain grow your sense of taste adapts?
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Humans are
omnivores - we eat
anything
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Taste buds
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Girls, I’m not just
talking about guys
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Taste vs. flavor
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Taste can be detected
with just the tongue
Flavor involves not
only the tongue, but
also our nose
Each taste bud
contains a cluster
of receptor cells
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These cells die
and are replaced
every 7 days!
Locate in the
tongue’s papillae
(those small
bumps on your
tongue)
Kinesthetic and Vestibular
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Kinesthetic senses relay information
about muscle
movement, posture,
and strain on
muscles and joints
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Stretch receptors specialized nerve
endings attached to
muscle
Golgi tendon organs receptors attached to
tendons (connect
muscle to bone)
Information is
constantly relayed to
the parietal lobes
through the spinal
cord
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Vestibular senses sense of equilibrium
and body position
(orientation)
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Originate in the
semicircular canals fluid provides
messages about
speed and direction of
body rotation
Movement of fluid in
the vestibular sacs
provides information
about movement
forward, backward,
up, and down
Sensations of Motion
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Awareness of vestibular senses
Can you think of a time when you
notice your vestibular senses?
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Motion sickness - our senses send
contradictory information to our brain
The Skin Senses
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Our skin is our
largest sense
organ
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Numerous nerve
receptors
Input travels to the
parietal lobe and
reticular formation
by way of the
medulla and
thalamus
Skin senses can
be influenced be
expectations
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Is there a
difference between
tickling yourself
and being tickled
by a friend?
Like your other
sensory organs,
skin adapts
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As you sit in a hot
bath it begins to
feel tolerable
The larger the
area being
stimulated, the
longer adaptation
Pain
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Pain is a warning signal
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Gate control theory - a “neurological gate” in
the spinal cord controls the transmission of
pain messages to the brain
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Individual difference due to numbers of small vs.
large fibers in spinal cord
Biopsychological theory - interaction of
biological, psychological, and cultural factors
influence the intensity and duration of pain
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Individual differences in pain threshold
Individual differences depend on past experiences,
our beliefs, and personality
Pain management - acupuncture and
hypnosis
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Placebo effect