Tactile system
The tactile system refers to the awareness of touch through receptors in the skin.
It consists of two levels: the first is discrimination to teli us where the touch is on our body, and a second level to teli us whether it is a safe or dangerous touch.
Visual system
The visual system interprets what we see. lt recognizes shapes, colours, letters, words and numbers. It iis also important in reading body language and other non-verbal clues during social interactions. Vision guides our movements and we continually check out actions with our eyes to make sure we move around safely.1
Auditory system
We use our auditory system to identify the quality and direction of sound.
lt not only hears sound, it also helps us to understand speech .
Gustatory and olfactory systems
Taste and smell are very closely linked senses and work as one integrated system. The sense of smell is one of the oldest and most vital parts of the brain. The two senses together allow us to identify food that we enjoy, and also teli us what is safe to eat.
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What are the five basic senses called?
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1 Humans are fairly unique in their reliance on sight as the dominant sense and this is reflected in how complicated our eyes are if compared with other creatures.
Vestibular system
The vestibular1 system contributes to our balance and our sense of where our body is in space. lt provides input about movement in the body, and works with the auditory and visual system to give accurate information to the brain about the direction the body is moving. lt is important for the development of balance, coordination, eye contro!, attention and even some aspects of language development.
DO
1 What is a vestibule?
a. The entrance hall of a large building.
b. A space in a train connecting two coaches.
c. A cavity at the beginning of a canal.
d. Ali are correct.
Proprioceptive system
The proprioceptive or kinesthetic system refers to the perception of sensation of the muscles and joints, enabling the brain to know where each part of the body is and how it is moving. lt keeps track of and controls the different parts of the body, using feedback from the movement of joints and muscles. It allows us to know where the [Qges of our body are, how far away we are from a wall, or how much pressUTe we are exerting on a pencil.
Adapted from: [https.j/www.acandakids.com/ what-are-the-seven-senses/ ](https.j/www.acandakids.com/ what-are-the-seven-senses/ )
