SCIENCE FORM 2

THE WORLD THROUGH OUR SENSES

THE SENSORY ORGANS

Main sensory organs

SKIN NOSE TONGUE EAR EYE

FUNCTION OF MAIN SENSORY ORGANS

SKIN Detect touch, pressure, pain, heat, cold. Organ for touch. NOSE Detect chemicals. Organ for smell.

TONGUE Detect chemicals. Organ for taste. EAR Detect sound. Organ for hearing. EYE Detect light. Organ for sight.

THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM

Responsible for detecting stimuli and changes in the environment and sending the information to the brain for interpretation. The brain then send out instructions to the relevant parts of the body for actions to be taken. The information and instructions are send out in the form of nervous impulses along nerves.

The nervous system consists of the brain, the spinal cord and the nerves. The brain and the spinal cord form the central nervous system. The nerves which send nerves impulses from the sensory organs or receptors to the brain are called the sensory nerves. The nerves which carry nervous impulses from the central nervous system to the muscles or glands for carrying out the responses are called the motor nerves.

THE PATHWAY FROM STIMULUS TO RESPONSE

Stimulus Sensory organs Sensory nerves

Response s

Motor nerves

Brain

THE SENSES OF TOUCH

THE SKIN AS A SENSORY ORGAN

THE SKIN
The skin is made up of two layers: -the epidermis -the dermis The skin is a sense organ helping the body to know what is happening in its surroundings. The nerve endings or receptors in the skin detects stimuli

THE FUNCTION OF RECEPTORS

TOUCH RECEPTOR Detects any contact made with the skin. PRESSURE RECEPTOR Detects pressure exerted on the skin. PAIN RECEPTOR Detects pain when the skin is injured.

HEAT RECEPTOR Detects heat or any that rise in temperature. COLD RECEPTOR Detects a cold substance or any fall in temperature.