The taste buds are sensory structures that are located on the tongue. These are responsible for detecting the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (savory). When we eat or drink something, molecules from the food or drink dissolve and come into contact with the taste buds. The taste buds send signals to… Continue reading Taste Text (General)

Sound is detected and processed by the auditory system, which includes the ears, the auditory nerves, and the brain. When sound enters the ear, the eardrum vibrates, and this vibration is transmitted to the bones in the middle ear (the malleus, incus, and stapes), and it goes to the cochlea, a spiral-shaped structure deep in… Continue reading Hearing/Sound Text (General)

Design and the Senses The senses play a crucial role in how we experience the world around us, and designers can use this to their advantage when creating products and experiences. By carefully considering how the senses can be engaged, designers can create more immersive and engaging designs that are more effective at capturing the… Continue reading Design and the Senses

Touch is the physical contact of the body with an object or element providing a response that triggers some reaction in the brain. This sense is local and does not allow the individual to receive or provide a tactile response over distance. There are several types of touch with different mechanisms to provide varying versions… Continue reading Touch Text (General)

The vestibular system is located in the inner ear. This system allows balance and provides a sense of directionality. It does this by measuring the acceleration and orientation of the head and then sending signals to the brain which coordinates movement and maintains balance. The vestibular system includes a network of channels filled with fluid,… Continue reading Equilibrioception Text

The Meissner corpuscle and the Pacinian corpuscle sense vibration. As mentioned previously, the Meissner corpuscle is a type of mechanoreceptor, a sensory nerve ending that is sensitive to mechanical pressure or movement. When an object comes into contact with the skin, the movement or pressure of the object activates the Meissner corpuscle, which sends a… Continue reading Vibration Text

The muscle spindle is a type of sensory receptor found in skeletal muscle, and it is responsible for detecting changes in the length and tension of the muscle. These receptors are located within the muscle tissue, and they contain specialized sensory cells that are sensitive to mechanical stimuli. When a muscle is stretched, it activates… Continue reading Stretch Text

The Golgi tendon organ is a nerve ending found in tendons. These are part of fibrous connective tissue that attaches the muscles to bone. The Golgi tendon organ detects changes in tension in the tendon. These nerve endings contain specialized sensory cells that are sensitive to mechanical stimuli. When tension is applied to a tendon,… Continue reading Tension Text

The sense of proprioception uses various sensors, including the Ruffini corpuscle. This Ruffini corpuscle is a type of nerve ending found in the skin that is responsible for detecting the stretching of the skin. These nerve endings are deep within the skin, and they hold specialized sensory cells that respond to mechanical stimulation. When something… Continue reading Proprioception Text

The sense of heat is provided by Group C nerve fibers found in the skin. These fibers are sensitive to changes in temperature, and they respond to both warm and hot stimuli. When something with heat comes into contact with the skin, it stimulates the group C nerve fibers, sending signals to the brain to… Continue reading Heat Thermoception Text