Module 1 The Nervous System
Lesson 1.1.4
Lesson 4—Sensory Perception: Taste, Smell, Touch, and Temperature
Get Focused
Do you see a plate, or do you see circles?
When you spot that attractive person across the room, maybe it’s his or her happy laughter that caught your attention. No wonder this person is happy! Can’t you just taste the pizza that they’re eating! Smell that aroma! You decide to approach, but the room suddenly seems a lot warmer. And then you extend your hand for the shake. This person’s skin feels cool for a short moment but then you withdraw your hand in pain. Now you’re embarrassed and the room really feels hot! All this information is increasing your breathing rate and heart rate. But the friend you’re with doesn’t seem as agitated as you are. Your friend doesn’t seem interested in the same person that you are and is not drooling over the pizza. Your friend’s perception is quite different from yours.
In this lesson, you will explore some of the senses that help maintain homeostasis by responding to environmental stimuli, both externally and internally. In Lessons 5 and 6 you will further explore the very important senses of sight and hearing. Sensory receptors, which are specialized neurons, receive stimuli such as taste, smell, touch, and temperature. You will learn about the special receptors for these senses, and how they communicate information to the brain for processing.
You will also examine how the brain processes information differently depending on your experiences. Investigators in accidents are often frustrated by eyewitness accounts of the same accident that are widely different. One person’s perception can be very different from that of another person. What do you see in the following images?
How many faces can you see?
Do you see a wine glass, or do you see faces?
In this lesson, you will investigate the following focusing question:
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What information about the environment do the senses of touch, smell, and taste communicate to a person’s nervous system in order to maintain homeostasis?
Module 1: Lesson 4 Assignment
When you have completed all learning activities for this lesson complete the online assignment.
** The Self-Check and Try This questions in this lesson are not marked by the teacher; however answering these questions will help you review important information and build key concepts that may be applied in future lessons. You can respond to these mentally, write out your response, or record your answer in any other way that works for you. **