Human sense organs
The information received by the human brain from the sensory organs forms
A person receives information through the main senses:
- vision,
- hearing,
- taste,
- smell
- touch,
Information on irritants affectingreceptors of the human sense organs, is transmitted to the central nervous system. She analyzes the incoming information and identifies it (sensations arise). Then a response signal is generated, which is transmitted along the nerves to the corresponding organs of the body.
There are 6 types of external sensations (motor skills do not haveseparate sense organ, but it causes sensations). A person can experience 6 types of external sensations: visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile (tactile), gustatory and kinesthetic sensations [1].
The pathways from the sense organs in humans are the vestibular, auditory, visual, olfactory, tactile and gustatory pathways of the central nervous system.
Electric scent
Electroreception belongs to that category of organsfeelings of sharks, which are beyond human understanding - you can calculate the principle of their work, but it is impossible to even guess what sensations this set of sensors gives predators.
The shark electroreceptor network was discovered by StefanoLorenzini. In 1678, he described them as multiple pores extending under the skin of predators in tubular channels filled with a jelly-like filler. The Italian anatomist was unable to determine their purpose, suggesting that the ampoules of Lorenzini are a kind of shark's sense organ.
Later, the possibilities of electric scenting of sharks were well demonstrated by the American scientist Adrianus Culmain.He conducted an interney experiment: he took a flounderPleuronectes platessa, catsharksScyliorhinus canicula and Flounder would bury themselves in the sand at the bottom, but the predator would still find prey.
Sharks respond to fantastically weak electric fields—billionths of one volt. Further studies have shown that sharks are able to detect electric fields with strengths as low as 5 nV/cm.
Catfish, lampreys, and many other fish have adapted a lateral line for electroreception, which is normally responsible for the perception of movement and vibration of the surrounding water.
However, it is not only fish that perceive current discharges, but also platypuses: during hunting, they cancatch
This ability is present not only in fish, but alsoplatypuses: they close their eyes, ears and nostrils while hunting, but they are still able to catch food for themselves even in muddy waters. The platypus has 40 thousand electroreceptors on its beak, which work in conjunction with mechanoreceptors that respond to pressure drops in the water.
Quantum compass or magnetoreception
Magnetoreception is the sense that gives the body the ability to sense a magnetic field.This is necessary to determine the direction of travel, altitude or location on the ground.
This can explain bio-navigation in invertebrates.and insects, as well as a means of developing orientation in animals in regional ecosystems. When using magnetoreception as a means and method of navigation, the body deals with the detection of the Earth's magnetic field and its direction.
Magnetoreception was observed in bacteria, suchinvertebrates like fruit flies, lobsters and honey bees. This sensation is also present in some vertebrates, in particular - birds, turtles, sharks and some rays. The assertion of the presence of magnetoreception in humans is controversial.
There is evidence that birds and insects have a magnetic sense and useto navigate through space, but it is not yet clear due toMagnetoreception is now thought to be responsible for this.specific proteins, such as cryptochromes, whose main function is photoreception with a focus on blue and ultraviolet light, and the magnetic sense here goesas a useful and enjoyable addition.
The mechanism of action of magnetoreception in animals remains unclear, but there are two main hypotheses that can explain this phenomenon.
Polarization or the ability to see transparent
Not all underwater creatures have electroreceptors, so they rely on other senses to get food.In particular, they rely on light that reaches their depths and drawsAttention to polarization is the nature of the oscillation of an electric (or magnetic) field in a traveling electromagnetic wave of light.
Different polarizations can change the light picture, make it more convex and understandable.
This is exactly what octopuses and others do.cephalopods that do not have color vision, but are still able to hunt even transparent underwater inhabitants: their body always changes the polarization of the light passing through them.
Cephalopods are known to be capable ofto distinguish the change in the angle of polarization of light, that is, they have polarization sensitivity. Polarization sensitivity is an integral part of all visual functions in cephalopods. Polarization sensitivity is defined as the ability to distinguish between light with varying degrees and / or angles of polarization, regardless of its relative brightness and color.
In addition to them, such advanced vision is available to many more crustaceans, arachnids and insects.
Expanding habitual human abilities
Not all living things can boast of unusual senses, but they can expand the already known limits of our abilities.
- Echolocation
Echolocation is the ability of some animalsto navigate in space, catching the ears reflected from objects of sound waves. The life of bats depends especially strongly on this ability - they emit an inaudible squeak for people, which is reflected from solid objects and helps the mice understand where they need to move.
Animals use echolocation to orient themselves in space and to determine the location of objects around them, mainly using high-frequency sound signals.It is most developed in bats and dolphins, and it is also usedshrews, seals and some species of birds.
The origin of echolocation in animals remainsunclear; it probably arose as a substitute for vision for those who live in the darkness of caves or the depths of the ocean. Instead of a light wave, sound was used for location. This method of orientation in space allows animals to detect objects, recognize them and even hunt in conditions of complete absence of light, in caves and at considerable depths.
- Infrared radiation
The sensory organs of humans and other higher primates are not adapted to infrared radiation, in other words, the human eye does not see it.
However, some species are able to perceive infrared radiation with their eyes.For example, the vision of some snakes allows them to see in the infrared range and hunt warm-blooded prey at night. Sensitivity of Infrared Detectors of Pitted SnakesCrotalinaeIt is quite enough to detect a person's hand at a distance of 40-50 cm and feel temperature drops up to hundredths of degrees Celsius, which allows you toThese reptiles are lightning fast to focus on their prey.
Moreover, ordinary boa constrictors have this ability at the same time as normal vision, as a result of which they are able to see their surroundings simultaneously in two ranges: normal visible, like most animals, and infrared.
Among fish, the ability to see underwater in the infrared range is distinguished by such fish as the piranha, which hunts warm-blooded animals that have entered the water, and the goldfish.
Among insects, mosquitoes have infrared vision, which allows them to orient themselves with great accuracy to the areas of the prey body that are most saturated with blood vessels.
- Ultraviolet radiation
1973 Nobel laureate Karl von Frischproved that bees see well in ultraviolet light. They have learned to make good use of flowers that place entire planting strips on their petals, invisible to humans.
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