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Sense of Equilibrium
Ears are two organs in one. Besides being the organs of hearing, they also contain receptors for the sense of equilibrium. Two small membranous sacs in the labyrinth of the inner ear are the organs of static equilibrium, and the three semicircular canals are those of dynamic balance. A movement of the head in any direction will set the fluid in at least one of the canals in motion stimulating the hair cells and initiating impulses that are relayed to the brain. To maintain the body's equilibrium corrective reflexes are initiated in the cerebellum.
Preksha Dhyana
3. SENSES OF TASTE AND SMELL
TONGUE AND NOSE
Taste and smell are both chemical senses, that is they are triggered by the chemical content of substances in the environment. Both senses are very much interconnected. The Taste Buds
The tongue is a most versatile organ. Its dexterity permits it to function in speech, chewing swallowing and sucking besides tasting. Taste buds, the specialized gustatory receptors are situated on the upper surface of the tongue, soft palate and epiglottis. A taste bud consists of a small bundle of cells which have hair-like dendrites protruding through tiny pores into the mouth cavity. Taste impulses from different parts of the tongue etc. are transmitted to the cerebral cortex by the nerve fibres at the other end of the taste cells. Physiology of Taste
In order to be tasted the chemicals of the food must be dissolved in the fluid medium of the saliva. There are five: primary tastes sweet, sour, salt, bitter and pungent (that of chilli). The large variety of other tastes are either a combination of two or more of these or are associated with the sense of smell. By far the greatest influence on the sense of taste is the sense of smell. What is generally referred to as the taste, is strictly the flavour which is combination of its taste and smell. Food tends to lose much of its taste when the nasal passages are blocked as with a head-cold.
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