BIO 124

SPECIAL SENSES
Introduction:
Among the five senses, what is the most important for you? Is it
the sense of hearing, sense of sight, sense of touch, sense of smell
or sense of taste? Is it hard to choose? Well, I agree because senses
have their own roles in our life just like hearing, when you are not
listening, you may not understands well. In sight, we have a popular
motto says “To see is to believe”. In smell, smelling can picture out
in our mind where the odor came from. Touching is kind of showing
attention or care for someone and lastly the sense of taste, it
determined the sweetness or the bitterness of a substance or food.
When you like the taste, you also love to eat a lot. Those details
above is not only ends with that because there’s a lot more importance
in a particular senses. We’re so lucky to have those thing we must be
thankful for it.
Objectives:
1. Discuss the receptor, location, and function for the
special senses: taste and smell
2. Identify the location, function, organ anatomy, receptor
anatomy and problems for the special senses: vision,
hearing, balance and equilibrium
3. Define related terms

Activity 1. Chemical Senses Experiments

I. Olfaction
Materials
a. blind fold or handkerchief h. corn
b. water i. cracker
c. vinegar j. calamasi
d. rubbing alcohol k. banana
e. soap l. mango
f. fruit juice m. chocolate drink
g. coffee n. cookie
 o. cheese q. milk
p. onion r. oil of strawberry

Procedure
1. Blindfold the test subject. Ask them to identify the objects by
smell only.
2. Record your results.

II. Olfactory Adaptation

Materials
a. Cotton c. Oil of green tea
b. Oil of strawberry
Procedure
1. Place several drops of oil on the absorbent cotton.
2. Press one nostril shut. Hold the cotton under the open nostril and
exhale through the mouth.
3. Record the time required forthe odor to disappear. (5 sec)
4. Repeat the procedure with the other nostril. (5 sec)
5. Immediately test another oil with the nostril that has just
experienced olfactory adaptation. Record the results.

III. Gustation
Materials
a. Q-tips d. Saline
b. Coffee e. Lemon or calamansi
c. Fruit juice f. A glass of water

Procedure
1. Rinse mouth out with water to begin. Take a Q-tip dipped into one
of the solutions and swab it on the test subject's tongue.
2. Draw a representative picture of a tongue and record where they
pick up the sensation.
3. Rinse and repeat experiment again until all four solutions are
used. The major taste sensations are sweet (fruit juice), sour (lemon
juice), salty (saline solution), and bitter (coffee).
4. Repeat on other willing test subjects and note any differences and
similarities.

IV. Relationship between smell and taste

Procedure
1. With a test subject blindfolded, ask him/her to pinch the nose.
2. Have the subject eat the food products used in experiment one and
ask him/her to now identify the food by using the following sequence:
- First, manipulate the food or drink with the tongue
- Second, chew the food or swish the drink around the mouth
- Third, if a positive identification is not made with the
first two techniques and taste sense, ask the subject to continue
chewing with the nostrils open to determine if a positive
identification can be made.
3. Record the results on the given table.

Results and Analyses

Substance Olfactory Gustatory Gustatory
Identification Identification Identification
(/) with nostrils with nostrils
pinched (/) open (/)
Water / / No taste / No taste
Vinegar / / Sour / Sour
Rubbing Alcohol /
Soap /
Fruit Juice / / Sweet / Sweet
Coffee / / Sweet / Strong taste
Cracker / / Both salty and / No taste
sweet
Corn X / Sweet / Sweet
Calamansi / / Sour / Sour
Banana / / Sweet / Sweet
Mango X / Slightly sour / Sweet
Chocolate Drink / / Sweet / Sweet
Cookie / / Sweet / Sweet
Cheese / / Salty / He was not
able to identify
Onion X / Bitter / Strong taste
Milk / / No taste / No taste
Oil of /
strawberry
Water Salt / / Salty / Salty
Table 1.1. Olfactory and gustatory assessment

Substance Right nostril Left nostril

Tea tree oil X X
Strawberry oil / He distinguished the / He distinguished the
smell smell
Table 1.2. Olfactory adaptaion

Fig. 1. Map of the sense of taste

1. What is the receptor for the sense of smell? Discuss .the process
of odor detection.

The receptor for the sense of smell is called Olfactory receptors

(OR). Olfactory receptors belong to a class of proteins called G-
protein coupled receptors (GPCR). These proteins possess a
characteristic bundle of seven membrane-spanning α-helices forming a
tube within the membrane. The binding site for the specific odorant is
located within the tube.

2. Define olfactory adaptation or desensitization. Explain why

olfactory desensitization occurs.
It’s like suddenly there’s something smells bad but after a few
minutes the bad odor lessen. After an hours, you’re not able to smell
it anymore. It is becoming obvious to a stimulus after a long exposure
so we can still respond to a new stimulus when it comes along.

3. Compare the test result on taste mapping to illustrations

identifying areas of sense of various tastes on the tongue. Are
there similarities and differences? Where are the taste buds
located in the tongue? Explain why humans tend to dislike bitter
tasting substances.

The similarities of it is that he can tasted all substances in the

center of his tongue even though the taste depends in the location.
When it is sweet, the client can easily distinguish it especially when
the bud is in the center of his tongue while when the taste of the
subject is sour or bitter, he was able to identify it when it is in
the side of his tongue.

4. Is it easier to identify certain foods using both senses? Does

the food taste the way it smells? Explain the relationship of the
sense of smell to the sense of taste.

For me, it depends when the one who’s eating was able to taste and
smell it well and of course when the particular substance have a
great smell which will easily defines the taste of a substance.
Although sight is not technically part of taste, it certainly
influences perception. Interestingly, food and drink are identified
predominantly by the senses of smell and sight, not taste. Food can
be identified by sight alone—we don't have to eat a strawberry to
know it is a strawberry. The same goes for smell, in many cases. To
our brains, "taste" is actually a fusion of a food's taste, smell
and touch into a single sensation. This combination of qualities
 takes place because during chewing or sipping, all sensory
information originates from a common location: whatever it is we're
snacking on. Further, "flavor" is a more accurate term for what we
commonly refer to as taste; therefore, smell not only influences but
is an integral part of flavor

Activity 2. Visual Experiments

I. Near Point of accommodation.

Material
a. Pin b. Ruler
Procedure
1. Ask the subject to hold a common straight pin at arm’s length in
front of one eye.
2. Slowly move the pin toward that eye until the pin image becomes
distorted.
3. Measure the distance in centimeters from the eye to the pin.
4. Repeat the procedure for the other eye.
5. Record the results. (Near point for right eye _________. Near point
for left eye ________.)

II. Visual Acuity

Material
a. Snellen eye chart
b. Astigmatism chart
Procedure
1. Same as test for cranial nerve II.
2. for astigmatism: Ask the test subject to remove any corrective
lenses. View the chart first with one eye and then with the other,
focusing on the center of the chart. Normally, all radiating lines
appear equally dark and distinct.

III. Color Blindness

Material
a. Ishihara chart 38 plates
Procedure
1. Have the test subject identify the shape or number on each plate
(1- 25). Record the results on the table given.
2. Have the subject trace the line or lines on plates 26-38. And,
record your observation.
3. Interpret the results.
What are some of the types and causes for color blindness? Are there
any treatments? If not, how do people adapt?

IV. Blind Spot

a. Blind spot drawing b. Ruler
Procedure
1. Have the test subject hold the piece of paper ~18 inches away from
their face.
2. Have them close their right eye and with their left eye open, focus
on the L while slowly bringing the paper closer to their face. When
the L disappears, that indicates the blind spot for the left eye.
Record the distance of the paper from the eye.
3. To repeat with the right eye, close the left eye and focus on the
R. Hold the paper 18 inches away and bring the paper slowly toward the
face. When the R disappears, this indicates the blind spot for the
right eye. Record the distance from the right eye to the paper.
Results and Analyses

Test Right Eye Left Eye

Near Point
Accommodation Inches inches

Visual Acuity 2.9 inches 3

Astigmatism 2 3
Blind Spot 7 6.8 cm
cm
Table 2.1. Assessment for Vision
Plate Result Interpretation
1 12 He was able to identify the number.
2 8 He was able to identify the number.
3 6 He was able to identify the number.
4 29 He was not able to identify the number.
5 57 He was able to identify the number with
confusion.
6 5 He was able to identify the number.
7 3 He was able to identify the number.
8 15 He was able to identify the number.
9 74 He was able to identify the number with
confusion.
10 2 He was able to identify the number.
11 6 He was able to identify the number with
confusion.
12 97 He was able to identify the number.
13 45 He was able to identify the number.
14 5 He was able to identify the number.
15 7 He was able to identify the number.
16 16 He was able to identify the number with
confusion.
17 17 He was able to identify the number.
18 / He was able to identify it.
19 / He was able to identify it.
20 / He was able to identify it.
21 / He was able to identify it.
22 26 He was able to identify the number with
confusion.
23 42 He was able to identify the number with
confusion.
24 35 He was able to identify the number with
confusion.
25 96 He was able to identify the number with
confusion.
26 / He was able to determine it.
27 / He was able to determine it.
28 / He follows the orange dots
29 X He was not able to follows all the dots.
30 / He follows the green dots.
31 / He follows the green dots.
32 / He follows the orange and red dots.
33 / He follows the orange and red dots.
34 / He was able to follow the green dots.
35 / He was able to follow the green dots.
36 / He follows the red and orange dots.
37 / He was able to follow the red and orange
dots.
38 / He was able to follow the red and orange
dots.
Table 2.2. Ishihara Color Blindness Test

1. Define the following terms: astigmatism, emmetropic, hyperopia,

myopia, refraction and presbyopia. Based on the definitions, how
would you interpret the test results of your subject?
 Astigmatism: astigmatism is one where rays that propagate in two
perpendicular planes have different foci. If an optical system
with astigmatism is used to form an image of a cross, the
vertical and horizontal lines will be in sharp focus at two
different distances.
 Emmetropic: relating to the normal condition of the eye in which
visual images are in clear focus on the retina.
 Hyperopia: Also known as being farsighted. Is a defect of vision
caused by an imperfection in the eye (often when the eyeball is
too short or the lens cannot become round enough), causing
difficulty focusing on near objects, and in extreme cases causing
a sufferer to be unable to focus on objects at any distance.
  Myopia: commonly known as being nearsightedness. It is a condition of the
eye where the light that comes in does not directly focus on the retina but in front of it, causing
the image that one sees when looking at a distant object to be out of focus, but in focus when
looking at a close object.
 Presbyopia: Presbyopia is a condition where, with age, the eye
exhibits a progressively diminished ability to focus on near
objects.

Based on the result we made, Kalvin can determined the color of the
dots and he was able to follow the particular colors of the dots. He
was also able to finish it so based on the definition above, Kalvin
is negative for those terms.

2. Define near point accommodation. Is there is a difference between

the near point accommodation of adults and children? Explain.

Near point accommodation often increase with age because the lens
hardens and makes it much more difficult for the eye muscles to
change the shape of the lens.

3. In summary, what is the interpretation for your subject’s

Ishihara test? What are some of the types and causes for color
blindness? Are there any treatments? If not, how do people adapt?

For me, the client has a good visual because he was able to determine
the color and the he can follow the dots and able to finish it.

Color blindness, or color vision deficiency, is the inability or

decreased ability to see color, or perceive color differences, under
normal lighting conditions. Color blindness can be inherited. It is
most commonly inherited from mutations on the X chromosome but the
mapping of the human genome has shown there are many causative
mutations—mutations capable of causing color blindness originate from
at least 19 different chromosomes and 56 different genes (as shown
online at the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database at
Johns Hopkins University). Two of the most common inherited forms of
color blindness are protanopia, and deuteranopia. One of the common
color vision defects is the red-green deficiency which is present in
about 8 percent of males and 0.5 percent of females of Northern
European ancestry.

4. Are there any differences between blind spots of the right and
left eyes of your subject? What is the anatomical reference for
the blind spot? When you are driving and wanting to change lanes,
why is it not enough to just check your mirrors?

There is no difference between blind spots of the right and left eyes
of my subject.

Blind spot is a small portion of the visual field of each eye that
corresponds to the position of the optic disk (also known as the optic
nerve head) within the retina. There are no photoreceptors (i.e., rods
or cones) in the optic disk, and, therefore, there is no image
detection in this area. The blind spot of the right eye is located to
the right of the center of vision and vice versa in the left eye. With
both eyes open, the blind spots are not perceived because the visual
fields of the two eyes overlap. Indeed, even with one eye closed, the
blind spot can be difficult to detect subjectively because of the
ability of the brain to “fill in” or ignore the missing portion of the
image.

When driving and wanting to change lanes, it is not enough to just

check the mirrors because objects will be closer than what you think
and can’t see how far and fast they are coming up on you so you might
cut them off.

Activity 3. Auditory and Hearing Experiments

I. Auditory Identification and Localization

Procedure:
1. Have a blind-folded test subject sit in a chair facing away from
the tester. Make various sounds from various locations and various
degrees of loudness, and have the subject identify the sound and
location. Suggested sounds are: clap, snap fingers, whistle, and
doorbell, knock on door, animal noise, scream, talk softly, laugh,
stomp, running water, phone ringing, etc.
2. Identify which sounds were harder to hear and which sounds were
harder to locate.

II. Frequency Range Hearing

Material
a. 3 tuning forks with varying frequencies
Procedure
1. Strike the lowest frequency tuning fork on the heel of your hand
and hold it close to the subject's ear.
2. Repeat with the other two forks.
3. Determine which fork was heard most clearly and comfortably, and
which fork was heard least well.

III. Weber Test

Material
a. Tuning fork
Procedure
1. Strike a tuning fork and place the handle medially on the subject's
head.
2. Ask the subject if the tone is equally loud on both ears or louder
in one ear.
3. Record and interpret the findings (for interpretation see page 410
of the lab manual)

IV. Rinne Test

Material
a. Tuning fork
Procedure
1. Strike the tuning fork and place its handle on the subject's
mastoid process.
2. When the subject indicates that the sound is no longer audible,
hold the still vibrating prongs close to the external auditory canal.
If the subject hears the fork again when it is moved to that position,
hearing is not impaired and the test result is to be recorded positive
(+).
3. Repeat the test on the same ear but this time test the air
conduction hearing first.
4. After the tone is no longer heard by air conduction, hold the
handle of the tuning fork on the bony mastoid process. If the subject
hears the tone again by bone conduction after hearing by air
conduction is lost, there is some conduction deafness and the result
is recorded as negative (-).
5. Repeat the sequence for the opposite ear.

V. Balance and Equilibrium

Materials
a. a 6 foot piece of masking or duct tape,
b. a blind fold,
c. watch
Procedure
1. Place the tape on the floor and ask the subject to "walk the line".
At the end of the tape line, have the subject use their index finger
to touch their nose. Record the time it took to complete the tests and
their results.
2. Blind fold the test subject and start them walking the line. Have
them touch their nose with their index finger when they think they are
at the end of the tape. Let them see how they did. Record the time it
took to complete the tasks and record the results: did they finish?
Did they start to fall? Did they miss their nose?
3. Now blind fold the test subject again and spin them around 10
times. Take off the blind fold and have them walk the tape line again.
At the end of the line, have them use their index finger to touch
their nose. Record the time it took to complete the tasks and record
the results.
Results and Analyses

Sound Identification Location (/) Remarks

(/)
Clap / Left ear He was able to
identify it.
Snap X Upper (Head) He thought that it
was located in his
left ear.
Whistle / Left ear He was able to
identify it.
Tapping the X Right side of He was not able to
table the client identify the sounds
and the location.
Table 3.1. Sound Identification and location

Test Results Interpretation

Weber test Cannot hear equally Right side can hear
louder.
Rinne test - Right / He was able to hear.
Ear
- Left Ear / He was able to hear.
Table 3.2. Assessment for deafness

Walk-the-line Results Remarks/ other

observations
Normal / 6 sec (0:06:54) He was steady and he
was able to maintain
his balance.
With blindfold / 10 sec Slightly unsteady and
he was fast. He also
finished the line.
With blindfold after / 16 sec Unsteady, He can’t
spinning maintain his balance.
Table 3.3. Balance and equilibrium

1. In the test for auditory identification and location, which

sounds were harder to hear? Which sounds were harder to locate?
What are the factors affecting the ability to locate the sound?

In the test for auditory identication and location, Weber test is

harder to locate and hear.
Sound localization refers to a listener's ability to identify the
location or origin of a detected sound in direction and distance. It
may also refer to the methods in acoustical engineering to simulate
the placement of an auditory cue in a virtual 3D space. The sound
localization mechanisms of the mammalian auditory system have been
extensively studied. The auditory system uses several cues for sound
source localization, including time- and level-differences between
both ears, spectral information, timing analysis, correlation
analysis, and pattern matching.
Sound is the perceptual result of mechanical vibrations traveling
through a medium such as air or water. Through the mechanisms of
compression and rarefaction, sound waves travel through the air,
bounce off the pinna and concha of the exterior ear, and enter the ear
canal. The sound waves vibrate the tympanic membrane (ear drum),
causing the three bones of the middle ear to vibrate, which then sends
the energy through the oval window and into the cochlea where it is
changed into a chemical signal by hair cells in the organ of corti,
which synapse onto spiral ganglion fibers that travel through the
cochlear nerve into the brain.

2. In the test for frequency range of hearing, which fork was heard
most clearly and comfortably (_____Hz)? Which was heard least
well (_____ Hz)? What is the normal human hearing range? What is
the loudest, softest, highest and lowest sound a young healthy
human can detect? Compare the human hearing range to cats, dogs
and bats.
The human ear is capable of hearing many of the sounds produced in
nature, but certainly not all. On an average, a human ear can identify
and distinguish the sound waves in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz
(20,000 Hz). However, as you age, the auditory sense on the higher end
of the frequency range begins to diminish. It is much lower in older
people, while infants and babies are the ones with maximum hearing
capacity. The auditory sense for higher frequencies begins to diminish
by the age of 8 itself.
20,000 Hz (20 kHz) is the (ideal) highest FREQUENCY that a healthy
human ear can hear. With regard to loud sounds. 0 dB for the lowest
threshold hearing.
Bat has the highest range approximately 1,000-123,000 followed by the
dog with 67-45,000 range next to it is the cat 45-64,000 and lastly Commented [ab1]:
the human with 64-23,000 range.

3. Differentiate conduction deafness from sensorineural deafness.

Conduction deafness is caused by a problem in the conduction or

transmission of sound waves either through the outer or the middle
ear. This type of deafness or hearing loss can be a temporary
condition, or it could be permanent. Conduction or conductive deafness
can be caused by several factors, some of which can be treated easily
to restore normal hearing. The treatment of this condition can vary
depending on the underlying causes while sensorineural deafness is a
type of hearing loss. It occurs from damage to the inner ear, the
nerve that runs from the ear to the brain (auditory nerve), or the
brain. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is caused by damage to these
special cells, or to the nerve fibers in the inner ear. Sometimes, the
hearing loss is caused by damage to the nerve that carries the signals
to the brain.

4. During the Rinne test, does the subject hear better by bone or
air conduction? What is the significance of this?
The Rinne test is a hearing test, primarily for evaluating loss of
hearing in one ear (unilateral hearing loss). It compares perception
of sounds transmitted by air conduction to those transmitted by bone
conduction through the mastoid. Thus, one can quickly screen for the
presence of conductive hearing loss.
During the Rinne test, the subject hear better by the air conduction
because the sound energy moves the tympanic membrane (ear drum) and
when the stapes moves, it vibrates the fluid in cochlea and moves the
basilar membrane which stimulates the hair cells. The hair cells
stimulate the acoustic nerve and this nerve conveys the sound
information into the brain via the cochlear nuclei and complicated
pathways within the brain.

5. Which part of the ear is responsible for balance and equilibrium?

How important is sight to balance and equilibrium? How fast did
the test subject "recover" after being spun around? How might a
person suffering from vertigo feel?

The hair cells within the vestibule and semicircular canals of the
cochleas are responsible for both aspects of equilibrium (dynamic and
static). It is the innermost part of the vertebrate ear. In
vertebrates, the inner ear is mainly responsible for sound detection
and balance. In mammals, it consists of the bony labyrinth, a hollow
cavity in the temporal bone of the skull.
The person who is suffering from vertigo feels so dizzy and off-
balanced. Vertigo is most common in elderly people, but it can affect
both sexes at any age. It may be a temporary or permanent condition.
Ateneo de Davao University
E.Jcinto St. Davao City

BIO 124
Anatomy and Physiology
Special Senses

Mrs. Rachel Fuentes- Noe

Glady Faith Imarga

Aug. 26, 2014
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