Key Scientific Knowledge

Lesson 1
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Each of the 5 senses has their own specialised cellular structure which
consists of receptors for specific stimuli (Zamora, 2014).

The 5 senses are linked to the nervous system (ONeill & Chong, 2005)

The different types of sensory experiences support different types of

knowledge (ONeill & Chong, 2005)

Lesson 2
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Sight is the most developed sense in humans (Zamora, 2014)

The spot where the optic nerve connects to the retina is called the
optic disc.

There are no photoreceptor cells on this disc, so when an

image hits that part of the retina, we can't see it this is called the
blind spot (Home Training Tools, 2014)
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The brain merges the input of our two eyes into a single threedimensional image (Zamora, 2014)

Images pass through the eyes to the back of the eye or retina (State
Government of Victoria, 2014a)

Lesson 3
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The sense of touch is a part of the peripheral nervous system, which is

what separate to the central nervous system (which is made up of the
spinal cord and the brain) (State Government of Victoria, 2014b)

The somatic nervous system (which is 1 of 2 parts in the peripheral

nervous system) is where information from skin and muscles is sent to
the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) (State
Government of Victoria, 2014b)

The sense of touch is what informs out consciousness about areas of the
body that cant be immediately seen, and it is one of the first senses to
develop (Gallace & Spence, 2010)

Lesson 4
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Each taste bud contains receptor cells, when eating these messages are
then set to the brain. Taste buds help in distinguishing food flavours
(sour, sweet, bitter and salty) and they are located on the tip, side and
back of the tongue. Some are even found in the throat and palate
(State Government of Victoria, 2014c)

Information about taste is sent from nerves in the tongue to the brain

with the assistance of the olfactory system (the nose). The nose is the
main organ that tastes- not the taste buds. The sense of smell is more
acute than the sense of taste (State Government of Victoria, 2014c)
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Exact knowledge behind the sense of smell still isnt exactly known but it
is believed that odour molecules in the air are sent up the nasal cavity
where a cluster of cells with small hairs capture the inhaled odour
molecules. This information is then sent to the brain by the nervous
system to where the smell is experienced. (State Government of
Victoria, 2014d)

Lesson 5
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Sense of hearing is a part of the auditory system.

The ear is an organ of hearing and balance. It has three main parts that
being the outer, middle and the inner ear (State Government of Victoria
[SGV], 2014d).

The outer ear is the part that we can see. The cup shape helps collect
sound waves from the environment (SGV, 2014d)

The middle ear is separated from the outer ear by the eardrum. This
part of the ear amplifies and carries sound waves into the inner ear
(SGV, 2014d)

The inner ear is where sound waves are collect and changed into nerve
signals which are then sent to the brain. The brain organises these
sounds by using previous experiences to interpret and categories them as
voices, noises, music etc. The sense of balance is also located here too.
(Snyder & Gregg, 2011; State Government of Victoria Department of
Education and Early Childhood Development [DEECD], 2013; SGV,
2014d).

All sounds come from things that vibrate. They faster they vibrate the
higher the pitch will be (DEECD, 2013).

Sound travels through solid, liquid and gas. Sounds spreads out from the
sources just like ripples in water which is why sounds are less intense
from afar than when close to the source (DEECD, 2013)

Having two ears helps us to better detect where the sound is coming
from (DEECD, 2013)

Lesson 6
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Humans naturally use their senses to explore, interact and learn about
the world around them (Young, 2007).

Our five senses- sight, touch, taste, hearing and smell help us gather

information about our immediate environment which is then translated

by the brain. We make sense of this information based on past
experiences as well as through combining informations provided by each
other senses (DEECD, 2014).
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Humans respond automatically to the information provided by the

sensors. Response to sensory is vital in order to survive in the
environment (DEECD, 2014).