Sense organs are specialized structures through which parts of the brain receive information from the internal or external environment. With their help, a person is able to perceive the world around him.
Sense organs - afferent (receptive) section of the analyzer system. The analyzer is the peripheral part of the reflex arc, which communicates between the central nervous system and the environment, receives irritation and transmits it through pathways to the cerebral cortex, where information is processed and sensation is formed.
5 human senses
How many primary senses does a person have?
In total, a person usually has 5 senses. Depending on their origin, they are divided into three types.
- The organs of hearing and vision come from the embryonic neural plate. These are neurosensory analyzers, they belong to first type.
- The organs of taste, balance and hearing develop from epithelial cells, which transmit impulses to neurocytes. These are sensory epithelial analyzers and belong to second type.
- Third type includes peripheral parts of the analyzer that sense pressure and touch.
Visual analyzer
The main structures of the eye: the eyeball and auxiliary apparatus (eyelids, muscles of the eyeball, lacrimal glands).
The eyeball has an oval shape, is attached by ligaments, and can move with the help of muscles. Consists of three shells: outer, middle and inner. Outer shell (sclera)- this protein shell of an opaque structure surrounds the surface of the eye by 5/6. The sclera gradually passes into the cornea (it is transparent), which makes up 1/6 of the outer shell. The transition area is called the limb.
Middle shell consists of three parts: the choroid, the ciliary body and the iris. The iris has a colored color, in the center of it there is a pupil, thanks to its expansion and contraction, the flow of light to the retina is regulated. In bright light, the pupil narrows, and in low light, on the contrary, it expands to catch more light rays.
Inner shell- this is the retina. The retina is located at the bottom of the eyeball and provides light and color perception. The photosensory cells of the retina are rods (about 130 million) and cones (6-7 million). Rod cells provide twilight vision (black and white), while cones provide daytime vision and color discrimination. The eyeball contains a lens and chambers of the eye (anterior and posterior).
The value of the visual analyzer
With the help of the eyes, a person receives about 80% of information about the environment, distinguishes colors and shapes of objects, and is able to see even with minimal light. The accommodative apparatus makes it possible to maintain clarity of objects when looking into the distance or reading closely. Auxiliary structures protect the eye from damage and contamination.
Hearing analyzer
The organ of hearing includes the outer, middle and inner ear, which perceive sound stimuli, generate an impulse and transmit it to the temporal cortex. The auditory analyzer is inseparable from the organ of balance, so the inner ear is sensitive to changes in gravity, vibration, rotation, and movement of the body.
Outer ear It is divided into the auricle, auditory canal and eardrum. The auricle is an elastic cartilage with a thin ball of skin that detects sound sources. The structure of the external auditory canal includes two parts: cartilaginous at the beginning and bone. Inside there are glands that produce sulfur (has a bactericidal effect). The eardrum perceives sound vibrations and transmits them to the structures of the middle ear.
Middle ear includes the tympanic cavity, inside which are located the hammer, stirrup, incus and Eustachian tube (connects the middle ear with the nasal part of the pharynx, regulates pressure).
Inner ear It is divided into a bony and membranous labyrinth, with perilymph flowing between them. The bony labyrinth has:
- vestibule;
- three semicircular canals (located in three planes, provide balance, control the movement of the body in space);
- cochlea (it contains hair cells that perceive sound vibrations and transmit impulses to the auditory nerve).
The value of the auditory analyzer
Helps to navigate in space, distinguishing noises, rustles, sounds at different distances. With its help, information is exchanged when communicating with other people. From birth, a person, hearing oral speech, learns to speak. If congenital hearing impairment occurs, the child will not be able to speak.
The structure of the human olfactory organs The receptor cells are located at the back of the upper nasal passages. Perceiving odors, they transmit information to the olfactory nerve, which delivers it to the olfactory bulbs of the brain.
With the help of smell, a person determines the good quality of food, or senses a threat to life (carbon smoke, toxic substances), pleasant aromas lift the mood, the smell of food stimulates the production of gastric juice, promoting digestion.
Organs of taste
On the surface of the tongue there are papillae - these are taste buds, on the apical part of which there are microvilli that perceive taste.
The sensitivity of receptor cells to food products is different: the tip of the tongue is susceptible to sweets, the root to bitter, the central part to salty. Through nerve fibers, the generated impulse is transmitted to the overlying cortical structures of the taste analyzer.
Organs of touch
A person can perceive the world around him through touch, with the help of receptors on the body, mucous membranes, and muscles. They are able to distinguish temperature (thermoreceptors), pressure levels (baroreceptors), and pain.
Nerve endings have high sensitivity in the mucous membranes and earlobe, and, for example, the sensitivity of receptors in the back area is low. The sense of touch makes it possible to avoid danger - to remove your hand from a hot or sharp object, determines the degree of pain threshold, and signals an increase in temperature.
Human sense organs: the main organs, what they are responsible for, how they are connected to the brain. Hygiene rules.
Thanks to the presence of sense organs, we can easily adapt to the world around us. What is given from birth and is present to us all our lives is of little value, and if suddenly, due to some accident, we lose one or more feelings, we lose a part of ourselves. Unfortunately, we are not always taught from childhood how important this is, but if you are reading this article, it means that you, like us, have decided to take care of the most important thing in the world - your body!
Let's think about how we feel for a second:
- Close your eyes and imagine how people who do not have such a natural gift live;
- Imagine not hearing the smell of food, the aroma of flowers and the delicious aromas of your beloved family members;
- Think about it, if you could no longer taste your favorite dish or drink;
- Imagine putting your hand in water and it starts to blister, but you don't understand why.
And this is just a small list of the limitations experienced by people whose senses work poorly or do not work at all.
What are human sense organs?
Human senses are the very organs through which a person interacts with the world around him. With the help of the senses, a person can realize what awaits him at one time or another when he comes into contact with the world around him, cognize it and enjoy life.
How many basic sense organs does a person have and how many total sense organs?
Currently, scientists have approved six human senses, but there is constant debate that a person has many more senses and this is only a condensed concept.
The list of human senses includes:
- Ears (thanks to the ears we hear sounds and vibrations);
- Eyes (thanks to the eyes we see);
- Tongue (thanks to this organ we feel the taste and temperature of everything we absorb);
- Nose (the nose helps us hear smells and aromas);
- Skin (they provide tactile sensations, touch, a sense of pain and temperature of the surrounding world);
- Vestibular apparatus (thanks to this sense organ, we are aware of our place in space, maintain balance and feel weight and position).
5 main senses - taste, vision, hearing, touch, smell: their main functions and significance
In this section I would like to pay attention to each of the senses separately and highlight their significance for human life.
Eyes . With the help of vision we receive on average about 90% of information. The pupils, with the help of which we see, are formed in the embryo and continue to develop until birth, directly connected with the brain.
Vision, or rather visual analysis, consists of several functions:
- Eyeballs;
- Optic nerves;
- Subcortical centers;
- Higher visual centers in the occipital areas.
Can you imagine how long a signal travels in an instant so that we can see and process information in real time without delay? How quickly the eyeballs, having recognized the signal, transmit it to the brain, and the brain instantly analyzes and produces a reaction from what it sees.
In addition, eyeballs are an ideal and unique optical device. Thanks to this, we can see at different distances, and we are also able to see both the whole picture (for example, a room) and the smallest detail (for example, a scratch on furniture).
The principle of operation of the eyes is very simple and at the same time very complex: light passing through the cornea of the eye is refracted and the refracted passes through the lens, where it is refracted again and tends to the vitreous body, where it converges in focus on the retina. It sounds complicated, but you need to know this in order to understand that visual acuity directly depends on the cornea and lens, or rather their ability to perfectly refract light.
But that's not all! Thanks to the muscles located in them, the eyes are able to move in different directions, which significantly increases the speed of vision and also relieves the load on the spine.
Organs of taste . This organ is responsible for taste buds, thanks to which a person can evaluate the food he eats. This protects a person from eating spoiled foods, allows him to enjoy new and familiar tastes, and also tells the brain the most acceptable tastes, and therefore, the brain subsequently signals what kind of food he wants to eat.
There is a misconception that the tongue is responsible for taste, but for some reason they forget to tell you that special nipples and bulbs are located not only on the tongue, but also on the palate, epiglottis, and also on the upper part of the esophagus.
Interesting fact: the tongue is divided into several zones that best determine a particular taste. But even if the zone is not responsible for a given taste, this does not mean that it will not feel it, just not so brightly. Example: the lateral arches of the tongue most clearly sense bitterness, but this does not mean that the rest of the tongue, palate and larynx will not taste pepper.
It is worth noting that the organs of taste are closely interconnected with the organs of charm. With colds and viral diseases, taste habits can change significantly and what gave pleasure can cause persistent disgust. After recovery, the situation will stabilize and return to its previous state.
Ears . It is believed that the most difficult people to adapt to in the world are those who have difficulties with vision and hearing. Indeed, in our fast-paced world it is quite difficult to live without acute hearing, and therefore it is important to carefully take care of what nature has given us.
The ear consists of three interconnected parts: outer, inner and middle. The outside is the familiar shell, which is as individual for everyone as fingerprints. It is responsible for sound localization and also clearly identifies the sound source.
The external passage, which runs from the outer ear to the internal organ, contains sebaceous glands that produce earwax. It is she who, constantly coming out, prevents clogging of the inner ear. This is followed by the eardrum, which responds to sound vibrations. Next comes the tympanic cavity - the basis of the middle ear. In this cavity there is a stapes hammer and anvil connected into a single whole. After them is the cochlea and semicircular canals, which are responsible for balance.
So, auditory waves are caught by the outer ear, move to the eardrum, from there to the three auditory ossicles and then to the cochlea, from the cochlea there is irritation to the auditory nerve and the brain perceives what is heard.
Organs of touch . Most people do not even realize what an important role this function of the body plays. How important it is for us to understand whether we come into contact with hot or cold, smooth, rough, soft or hard. It is tactile sensations that bring endorphins (hormones of joy) when in contact with a loved one. Touching a favorite thing, an animal, and even the outside world can tell us no less than sight! Please note that children who have not yet accumulated enough life experience touch everything and it is through touch that they study the world and gain that very experience.
But it is worth noting that the skin (they are the organs of touch) exclusively “catch” signals and transmit them to the brain, and the brain, having already analyzed it, reports what our fingers felt.
Nose or olfactory organs . In the nasal passages, a small part is occupied by olfactory cells. The shape of the cells resembles many tiny hairs and when moving they capture the subtleties of all kinds of aromas and odors. As with the sense of touch, olfactory cells pick up scents and transmit the signal to the brain, which is already processing the information. Signals are transmitted in this way: olfactory cells capture the aroma and transmit them through olfactory threads and bulbs to the centers of the brain. The sense of smell may be temporarily dulled during viral respiratory diseases and restored within a few days after recovery. Otherwise, the help of doctors is necessary.
The tongue is what sense organ?
The tongue, together with the larynx, palate and other parts of the oral cavity, belongs to the organs of taste. We discussed the taste organs in more detail in the section above.
What sense organs does a person lack?
Many people have a question: what sense organs do humans lack? For science fiction writers, this is simply fertile ground for creating superheroes or, on the contrary, villains. We have identified the most popular sense organs that humans do not have, but if they existed, a person’s life would be much more comfortable.
- The ability to detect ultrasound is a unique gift of bats;
- Clear vision in the dark - the capabilities of cats and more are amazing!
- Electroreceptors with which stingrays and sharks are gifted;
- The lateral line of fish is ideal sensitivity in space, which contributes to both survival and hunting;
- Thermal locators that snakes are gifted with.
This is just a small list of the capabilities of the surrounding world that nature has not endowed us with or that we have lost in the process of evolution.
Sense organs and brain, nervous system: how are they interconnected?
Each sense organ is directly connected by nerve endings to the brain and continuously sends signals. The brain, in turn, analyzes the signals and produces ready-made information. It is worth noting that the brain rarely receives a signal from just one sense organ, and most often in a complex manner. So, for example, a child enters the kitchen and sees food (vision), hears the mother’s voice “Sit down to eat”, feels the aroma of food, sits down at the table and comes into contact with cutlery (a signal that food is about to arrive), and by the time the mother When a child puts a plate on the table, he most likely knows what the dish will taste like.
How do the senses help a person navigate the world?
Have you seen a newborn kitten, how it pokes in different directions, not yet understanding how to navigate in space. Likewise, a person without sense organs would move in space without understanding where he is and how to get to the right place, what needs to be done to avoid getting into trouble.
For example, a sense of balance helps a person understand where the earth is and where the sky is, even in a room without a single window. Also, thanks to this feeling, a person clearly navigates in space, moving in the desired direction without injury.
The hearing organs help to hear not only conversations with family, but also the sound of moving vehicles, running animals, etc. Having analyzed this sound, a person can correctly orient himself even if he does not yet see this object.
Vision in modern life is one of the key senses, because our society is created in such a way that we receive 99% of information visually. According to statistics, people with visual impairments are the most severely limited in the modern world.
Thanks to the sense of touch and charm, a person not only experiences the most vivid and pleasant emotions, but can also protect himself from the dangers of our world. For example, repulsive odors signal to us that food is no longer suitable for consumption until it reaches the tongue. The smell of smoke and burning often saves people from fires and allows them to quickly extinguish or leave the room at the stage of fire.
Hygiene rules for the main sense organs
In order for our senses to serve us faithfully for many years, we must respond to them with care and regular care. Below we provide basic hygiene rules for the organs responsible for the senses.
- Organ of touch: all of our skin needs daily cleaning (shower or bath), moisturizing and nourishing as necessary. Particular attention should be paid to the palms and feet, since it is on their integument that the maximum number of receptors that transmit the most important information to the brain is located;
- Olfactory organ: as necessary, it is necessary to rinse and clean the nasal cavities from pollution and substances secreted by the body. In case of illness, treat according to the doctor’s recommendations;
- Organs of taste: the oral cavity needs daily brushing of the teeth, brushing with dental floss if necessary, as well as rinsing the mouth in the morning and evening, as well as after each meal;
- Hearing organs: if there are no problems in the ears, then cleaning the outer ear should be done after washing with cotton swabs or special swabs. In other cases, as necessary, it is necessary to clean out the wax, but only at the entrance to the ear, deeper, like ear plugs, it should be cleaned exclusively by an ENT doctor;
- Eyes: together with the skin, the eyes must be washed morning and evening; if you wear contact lenses, clean them according to the instructions. If tearing, burning or other unpleasant sensations occur in the eyes, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor.
Video: What controls our senses: human anatomy?
5 elements, sense organs and their actions
Man is a microcosm. Just as the five elements are found everywhere in matter, they also exist in every person. There are many places in the human body where the element of ether is manifested. For example, there is space in the mouth, nose, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, abdomen, chest, capillaries, lymph, tissues and cells.
Space in motion is called air.
Air is the second cosmic element, the element of movement. In the human body, air manifests itself in a variety of muscle movements, the pulsation of the heart, the expansion and contraction of the lungs, and the movements of the walls of the stomach and intestinal tract.
Under a microscope you can see that even a cell is in motion. The response to irritation is the movement of nerve impulses, manifested in sensory and motor movements. All movements of the central nervous system are entirely controlled by air.
The third element is fire. The source of fire and light in the solar system is the sun. In the human body, the source of fire is metabolism, metabolism. Fire operates in the digestive system. Fire manifests itself as intelligence in the gray matter of brain cells.
Fire also manifests itself in the retina of the eye, which perceives light. Thus, body temperature, the process of digestion, thinking and the ability to see are all functions of fire. The entire metabolism and enzyme system is controlled by this element.
Water is the fourth important element in the body. It manifests itself in the secretion of gastric juice and salivary glands, in the mucous membranes, in plasma and protoplasm. Water is vital for the functioning of tissues, organs and various body systems.
For example, dehydration resulting from vomiting and diarrhea must be corrected immediately to save the patient's life. Because water is so vital, the water in the body is called the Water of Life.
Earth is the fifth and final element of the cosmos, which is present in the microcosm. Life becomes possible at this level because the earth holds everything living and nonliving on its surface.
The solid structures of the body - bones, cartilage, legs, muscles, tendons, skin and hair - all came from the earth.
Feelings (perceptions)
These 5 elements are manifested in the functions of the five senses of man, as well as in his physiology. These elements are directly related to a person’s ability to perceive the world around him. Through the senses they are also associated with the five actions corresponding to the functions of the sensory organs.
The basic elements - ether, air, fire, water and earth - are associated with hearing, touch, vision, taste and smell, respectively.
Ether is a medium that transmits sound. This etheric element is associated with the function of hearing. The ear, the organ of hearing, expresses action through the organs of speech, which give meaning to human sound.
Air is associated with the sense of touch; The organ of touch is the skin. The organ that transmits the sense of touch is the hand. The skin on the hand is very sensitive, the hand is endowed with the ability to hold, give and receive.
Fire, manifested as light, heat and color, is associated with vision. The eye, the organ of vision, controls walking and is thus connected to the leg. A blind person can walk, but without choosing a direction. The eyes give direction to actions when walking.
Water is associated with the organ of taste - without water the tongue cannot sense taste. The tongue is closely related to the functions of the genitals (penis and clitoris). In Ayurveda, the penis or clitoris is considered to be the lower tongue and the tongue in the mouth is the higher tongue. The person who controls the higher language naturally controls the lower language.
The earth element is associated with the sense of smell. The nose, the organ of smell, is functionally connected with the actions of the anus, the organ of excretion. This connection is manifested in a person who has constipation or an unclean rectum - he has bad breath, his sense of smell is dull.
Ayurveda treats the human body and its sensory sensations as a manifestation of cosmic energy, expressed in five basic elements. The ancient Rishis realized that these elements originate from pure Cosmic Consciousness.
Ayurveda strives to enable each individual to bring his body into perfect and harmonious connection with this Consciousness.
The five - those that we all know, that is, vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch - were first listed by Aristotle, who, being an outstanding scientist, still often got into trouble. (For example, according to Aristotle, we think with the help of our hearts, bees come from the decaying carcasses of oxen, and flies have only four legs.)
According to popular belief, humans have four other senses.
Thermoception is the feeling of heat (or lack thereof) on our skin.
Equibrioception is a sense of balance that is determined by the fluid-containing cavities in our inner ear.
Nociception is the perception of pain by the skin, joints and organs of the body. Strangely, this does not include the brain, which has no pain-sensitive receptors at all. Headaches - no matter what we think - do not come from inside the brain.
Proprioception - or "body awareness". This is an understanding of where parts of our body are, even we do not feel or see them. Try closing your eyes and swinging your leg in the air. You will still know where your foot is in relation to the rest of your body.
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It appeared thanks to the meditation of seers, true rishis. For thousands of years, their teachings were passed down orally from teacher to student, and these teachings later became the subject of melodic Sanskrit poetry. Although many of these texts have been lost over time, much of Ayurvedic knowledge has survived.
This wisdom, originating in the Cosmic Consciousness, was accepted by the hearts of the Rishis. They realized that consciousness is energy manifested in five basic principles or elements: ether (space), air, fire, water and earth. Ayurveda is based on this concept of five elements.
The Rishis realized that in the beginning the world existed in the form of unmanifest consciousness. From this universal consciousness the silent sound “AUM” emerged as a subtle cosmic vibration. From this vibration the element of ether arose first.
Then this element of ether began to move, and this subtle movement created air, which is the mobile ether. The movement of the ether contributed to the emergence of friction, which generated heat. The particles of thermal energy combined to form an intense glow, and from this light the element of fire emerged.
So the ether was transformed into air, and it was the same ether that later manifested as fire. Typically, heat causes the etheric elements to dissolve and liquefy, manifesting the water element, and then solidify to form earth molecules. Thus, the ether is manifested in the four elements: air, fire, water and earth.
From the earth all original living bodies were created, including the plant and animal kingdoms, as well as man. Earth is also found in inorganic substances, which include the mineral kingdom. Thus, all matter is born from the womb of the five elements.
These 5 elements exist in all matter. Water is a classic example that proves this: the solid state of water - ice - is a manifestation of the earth principle. The latent heat (fire) in the ice melts it, manifesting water, and then changes to steam, indicating the principle of air.
The steam disappears into the ether, or space. Thus, in one substance there are 5 basic elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth.
All 5 elements arise from the energy emanating from Cosmic Consciousness, all 5 are present in matter everywhere in the Universe. Thus, energy and matter represent a single principle.
Man is like a microcosm
Man is a microcosm. Just as the 5 elements are found everywhere in matter, they also exist in every person. There are many places in the human body where the element of ether is manifested. For example, there is space in the mouth, nose, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, abdomen, chest, capillaries, lymph, tissues and cells.
Space in motion is called air.
Air is the second cosmic element, the element of movement. In the human body, air manifests itself in a variety of muscle movements, the pulsation of the heart, the expansion and contraction of the lungs, and the movements of the walls of the stomach and intestinal tract.
Under a microscope you can see that even a cell is in motion. The response to irritation is the movement of nerve impulses, manifested in sensory and motor movements. All movements of the central nervous system are entirely controlled by air.
The third element is fire. The source of fire and light in the solar system is the sun. In the human body, the source of fire is metabolism, metabolism. Fire operates in the digestive system. Fire manifests itself as intelligence in the gray matter of brain cells.
Fire also manifests itself in the retina of the eye, which perceives light. Thus, body temperature, the process of digestion, thinking and the ability to see are all functions of fire. The entire metabolism and enzyme system is controlled by this element.
Water is the fourth important element in the body. It manifests itself in the secretion of gastric juice and salivary glands, in the mucous membranes, in plasma and protoplasm. Water is vital for the functioning of tissues, organs and various body systems.
For example, dehydration resulting from vomiting and diarrhea must be corrected immediately to save the patient's life. Because water is so vital, the water in the body is called the Water of Life.
Earth is the fifth and final element of the cosmos, which is present in the microcosm. Life becomes possible at this level because the earth holds everything living and nonliving on its surface.
The solid structures of the body - bones, cartilage, legs, muscles, tendons, skin and hair - all came from the earth.
Feelings (perceptions)
These 5 elements are manifested in the functions of the five senses of man, as well as in his physiology. These elements are directly related to a person’s ability to perceive the world around him. Through the senses they are also associated with the five actions corresponding to the functions of the sensory organs.
The basic elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth are associated with hearing, touch, vision, taste and smell, respectively.
Ether is a medium that transmits sound. This etheric element is associated with the function of hearing. The ear, the organ of hearing, expresses action through the organs of speech, which give meaning to human sound.
Air is associated with the sense of touch; The organ of touch is the skin. The organ that transmits the sense of touch is the hand. The skin on the hand is very sensitive, the hand is endowed with the ability to hold, give and receive.
Fire, manifested as light, heat and color, is associated with vision. The eye, the organ of vision, controls walking and is thus connected to the leg. A blind person can walk, but without choosing a direction. The eyes give direction to actions when walking.
Water is associated with the organ of taste - without water, the tongue cannot taste. The tongue is closely related to the functions of the genitals (penis and clitoris). In Ayurveda, the penis or clitoris is considered the lower tongue and the tongue in the mouth is the higher tongue. The person who controls the higher language naturally controls the lower language.
The earth element is associated with the sense of smell. The nose, the organ of smell, is functionally connected with the actions of the anus, the organ of excretion. This connection is manifested in a person who has constipation or an unclean rectum - he has bad breath, his sense of smell is dull.
Ayurveda treats the human body and its sensory sensations as a manifestation of cosmic energy, expressed in five basic elements. The ancient Rishis realized that these elements originate from pure Cosmic Consciousness.
Ayurveda strives to enable each individual to bring his body into perfect and harmonious connection with this Consciousness.
5 elements, sense organs and their actions
| element | feelings | sense organs | action | organ of action |
| Ether | Hearing | Ear | Speech | Speech organs (tongue, vocal cords, mouth) |
| Air | Touch | Leather | holding | Hand |
| Fire | Vision | Eyes | Walking | Leg |
| Water | Taste | Language | Playback | Genitals |
| Earth | Smell | Nose | Selection | Anus |