1.
Sense of Smell: We Smell With Our Nose
1. Smell is the primary sense involved in receiving and processing scents from our
environment.
2. The nose is responsible for the intake of scent from our environment.
3. Smell serves many purposes in the real world.
Parts of the Nose and Their Functions:
Root: the upper part of the nose located between the eyes.
Bridge: the upper bony part of the nose.
Dorsum Nasi: the external part of the nose that is forward and upward.
Ala: the rounded part of the nose that is made up cartilage; this is the part that
flairs out around the nostril.
Apex: the outermost, pointy part of the nose.
Philtrum: the vertical groove located in the middle of the upper lip.
Mucous Membrane: located inside your nose; moist, thin layer of tissue that
helps to warm up the air and capture dirt and other particles that may get into
your nose.
Olfactory Epithelium: located behind your nose; this is the area of your nose
that helps your smell.
Cilia: nose hairs
Importance of sense of smell
o Our sense of smell is important because it can warn us of danger. If there is a fire
somewhere in our house/building, our nose alerts us before we see it. If we had a
weak sense of smell, we may not know there is a fire in our house/ building until
it is too late.
o If we could not smell, we would have to rely heavily on our other senses. Our
sense of taste could help us with food items, our eyes could help us see what
items could be harmful (i.e., chemicals/ loo at warnings).
Describe what happens to your sense of smell when you have a
cold and explain why.
Answer: Our sense of smell is lost when we have a cold because our nose gets
blocked or “stuffed up.” We need our nose to be clear in order to take in scents
from the world around us, and when we have a cold it is not.
Scientific reason: When you have a cold, your sense of smell diminishes primarily due
to nasal congestion and inflammation in the nasal passages. The cold causes the lining
of your nose to swell and produce excess mucus, which blocks the olfactory receptors
that detect smells. Additionally, the inflammatory response can disrupt the normal
functioning of these receptors, leading to a reduced ability to perceive odors. This is
often accompanied by a stuffy or runny nose, further impairing the sense of smell.
2. Sense of Taste: We Taste With
Our Tongue
Taste is the primary sense involved in receiving and processing flavors from our
environment.
2. The tongue is responsible for the intake of flavors.
3. Taste serves many purposes in the real world, including keeping us healthy and
protecting us.
Tongue Map
Parts of The Tongue: Locations & Functions:
o Epiglottis: a flexible flap of cartilage at the root of the tongue. It acts as a switch between
the larynx and esophagus. It allows air to pass through to the lungs and food to pass
through to the gastrointestinal tract.
o Palatopharyngeal Arch: folds of the mucous membrane that pass from the soft palate to
the pharynx (throat). Helps to pull the pharynx up and down while eating.
o Palatine Tonsil: located on each side of the pharynx. Helps in defending the body
against certain infections.
o Lingual Tonsil: two small mounds of tissue (lymphatic) that are located at each side of
the base of the tongue. Assists the immune system.
o Palatoglossal Arch: folds of mucous membrane that pass from the soft palate to the side
of the tongue.
o Terminal Sulcus: groove on the tongue that looks like a V. separates the oral and
pharyngeal parts.
o Foliate Papillae: vertical folds on each side near the back of the tongue. Four out of five
foliate papilla are associated with the taste buds.
o Circumvallate Papilla: bitter taste buds. Form a V shape in the back of the tongue.
o Dorsum of Tongue: superior surface of the tongue.
o Fungiform Papilla: sweet and sour taste buds. Located on the surface of the tongue.
o Filiform Papilla: the most numerous papillae scattered on the surface of the tongue.
o
Explain the role of the tongue.
The tongue is not only used for tasting; it performs other roles. We use our tongue to
articulate sounds for speech. This is why if we have something wrong with our tongue
(i.e., a bad burn or if we had tongue surgery), our speech might sound different. The
tongue helps us swallow by moving chewed food down our throat. The tongue is also a
cleaner. We use our tongue to move food that may be stuck between our teeth, gums, and
cheeks.
1. Presentation link : https://prezi.com/hvsqdc21urcl/who-is-tasting/
Prezi presentation, "Who is tasting?" by Jacquelyn Lawrence
1. You tube video
YouTube Video, "Our Sense of Taste and Smell", by Eleftherios
Katsaros
The five receptors for taste and where they are located on the tongue.
Taste Buds and Locations:
o Sweet: tip of the tongue
o Sour: both sides of the tongue
o Salty: front sides of the tongue
o Bitter: back of the tongue
o Umami: middle of the tongue
[Information source: http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/taste-buds.html]
Explain the role of saliva.
When food enters the mouth, it must dissolve into the saliva. Once it is dissolved, the
taste receptors identify the item. Foods that are salty dissolve quickly which is why we
taste salty items first (i.e., with salted caramel chocolate candy you will taste the salt
before you taste the caramel or chocolate.)
Explain that papillae are the small bumps you see on the tongue. The taste buds are
located on top of the papillae but are not visible. Taste buds contain sensitive microscopic
hairs called microvilli. The microvilli send messages to the brain so that you know what
you taste. The average person has 10,000 taste buds that are replaced every two weeks.
However, as you get older, some taste buds are not replaced.
The nose also plays a role in determining how an item tastes. When you eat, the smell of
the food travels into your nose. The olfactory receptors in the nose are triggered. Your
taste and olfactory receptors work together to send a message to your brain that tells you
what you are eating. When you have a head cold and your sense of smell is diminished,
so is your sense of taste. This is because you need both your olfactory and taste receptors
to work together.
3.Sense of Touch: We Touch
With Our Skin
o Our sense of touch is very important. Without our sense of touch we wouldn’t be
able to determine if an item is safe or not. If we touch something that has not
been filtered by our brain as “safe”, we will be warned by experiencing pain.
Nerve receptors are very important because when we touch something, it sends
a message to our brain. Our brain determines if the item is safe or harmful. If we
didn’t have our sense of touch, we would have to rely more on our other senses.
YouTube Video, "First Knowledge - Our Senses: Touch" by Eleftherios
Katsaros
How could our skin help us find our way in the dark? Use what you have
learned about skin today to come up with some different ways you could use your
skin to get around without being able to see. In complete sentences, describe at least
three different scenarios where using your skin could help you and explain your
reasoning.
Answer: When we need to find our way in the dark we use our skin to feel objects that
will guide our path, as well as obstacles in our path. For example, you might run your
hand along a wall to help you find your way, or you may stub your toe on a piece of
furniture. Each time your skin feels something it is processed by your sense of touch to
tell you what it is you are feeling, you then make a decision on what way to go based on
what you are feeling in your path. Answers will vary.
Nerve endings worksheet
The nerve endings in the skin.
The skin has many sense receptors that tell a person if the object they are touching is wet,
dry, rough, smooth, hot, cold, sharp, or dull. The sense of touch is very important, as
there are many objects in the world that are dangerous (i.e., hot stoves, knives, pins,
broken glass). The nerve receptors in the hand send messages to the brain that will warn
you if an item is dangerous. We rely on our sense of touch and our brain to protect us
from harmful objects. Your brain determines if an object is dangerous and it eventually
separates the dangerous and non-dangerous messages. This is why when you cut your
finger you feel instant pain, but are not aware of the shoes or clothing you are wearing.
Although there are touch receptors all over our body, the most receptors are found in our
lips, fingertips, and toes. Our nerve receptors and our brain work closely together.
Expand on the subject by explaining the names of the different touch receptors in the
body. Hand out the “Nerve Endings” worksheet. If it is possible, project the “Nerve
Endings” worksheet onto the board using a projector or put into a PowerPoint document
and project so that the students can label each picture as the teacher explains.
o Meissner Endings: located just below the layer of the skin; respond to very light touches
o Merkel Endings: located near the surface of the skin; respond to slow vibrations
o Free Nerve Endings: located at the surface of the skin; respond to hot, cold, and pain
o Ruffini Endings: located deeper in the skin; respond to stretching, squeezing, and
temperature
o Pacinian Endings: located very deep in the skin; respond to pressure and vibrations
Fingerprints
o Our fingerprints are important because they are our unique identity. Our
fingerprints help to identify us. If we touch glass or a mirror, we leave a fingerprint
smudge mark. This mark is created by the oils and salt that are excreted from our
fingertips. Everytime we touch something, we leave our fingerprints behind. We
can only, however, see fingerprints on surfaces like mirrors and glass. Looking
for fingerprints on items like clothing and pillows will be harder because the oils
and salts are absorbed. If we didn’t have fingerprints it would be harder to catch
criminals. We wouldn’t be able to grasp onto objects, since our fingerprints help
us to do so. We also wouldn’t have our own unique identity.
The three types of fingerprints: arches, loops, and whorls.
The pores on our fingertips ooze oil and salt and create fingerprints.
Each person has a unique fingerprint and not two people have the same fingerprints.
Fingerprints cannot be altered unless there are extreme circumstances.
Fingerprints are characterized into three different impressions: patent, plastic, and latent.
Video: Fingerprint: Video Learning: by WizScience.com
Fingerprints are our unique identity. No two people have the same fingerprints;
not even identical twins. Fingerprints are not only our “identifiers”, they also help
us grasp onto things. The loops and spirals on our fingers are ridges and they
help us hold onto objects. They also leave smudges when we touch glass, a
mirror, or something that has just been painted. Smudges are created by the oils
and salt that are excreted (released) from the pores on our fingertips. Every time
we touch an object, we leave our fingerprints. It is easy to see the smudges/ our
fingerprints on clear surfaces, such as glass or mirrors. It is not easy to see the
smudges/ our fingerprints on objects such as clothing or pillow because these
objects absorb/ take in the oils. We do, however, leave fingerprints on these
items.
There are different types of fingerprint impressions: patent, plastic, and latent. Patent
prints are the prints we see on smooth surfaces. Plastic prints are the prints that are the
result of an impression, for example if we touch silly putty or wet paint. Latent prints are
the prints that are made of oil and sweat and that we cannot see. These prints are retrieved
by using special chemicals and enhanced for observation.
Fingerprints are classified into three groups: arches, loops, and whorls.
o Loops: ridges go from one side to the other; two loop patterns are: ulnar loop and radial
loop; loop fingerprints make up 70% of all fingerprints.
o Whorls: series of circles; whorl fingerprints make up 25% of all fingerprints.
o Arches: ridges flow from one side and out the other side; arch fingerprints make up 5%
of all fingerprints.
o Tented Arch: grouped in the arch category; very rare fingerprint often found on the
pinky finger.
Fingerprints cannot be altered/ changed. The fingerprints we are born with are the
fingerprints we will have our entire life. If we burn or injure our fingers, our fingerprint
will remain intact. There are some cases, however, where fingerprints can be altered. If
we have surgery on our fingers or if we severely injure them, it can change our
fingerprints—but these are extreme cases.
Fingerprints play a role in catching criminals. Sometimes criminals leave their
fingerprints behind when committing a crime. When the police arrive to search the crime
scene, they will use special chemicals to search for fingerprints—especially latent
fingerprints. They collect these fingerprints and use them to identify the criminal.
Information Sources:
http://www.crimescene-forensics.com/Fingerprints.html
Answer these questions on notebooks:
Think about what you learned in class today about fingerprints.
o Why are fingerprints important?
o How does your finger create a print you can see?
o Do we leave fingerprints on everything we touch?
o Imagine a world if we didn’t have fingerprints. What would be some positive differences
and what would be some negative ones?