More traditional senses?
More traditional senses?
Smell
Smell is the other "chemical" sense. Each olfactory receptor binds to a particular molecular feature. Odor molecules have a variety of features and thus excite specific receptors more or less strongly. Excitatory signals from different receptors makes up what we perceive as the odor molecule’s smell.
Olfaction is processed by the olfactory system, involving the amygdala and the hypothalamus, whose receptor neurons die and regenerate on a regular basis, contrary to most others.
Humans react subconsciously to most smells. The smell of a certain food triggers the production of specific enzymes for optimal digestion. Most manufactured foods have no smell, thus trigger nothing. Often resulting in a poor digestion.
Every human has about 6 million smell receptors of around 400 different types. The distribution of those receptors varies by individual, resulting in unique senses of smell, called “olfactory fingerprint.”
Researchers developed a complex mathematical formula for determining how similar any 2 odors are. They say “does not require anyone to agree on the use and applicability of any given verbal descriptor. Thus, the fingerprint is odor dependent but descriptor and language independent”.
They stated that 34 odors, 35 descriptors, and ≈5 hours of individual testing could result in the identification of about 7B different people.
The team found that people with similar olfactory fingerprints showed similarity in their genes for immune system proteins linked to body odor and mate choice, and probably smell similar. These findings may result in smell-based social networks, and a diagnostic tool for diseases that affect the sense of smell, including Parkinson’s.
This “smellprint” could also be used for security purposes, as it would be nearly impossible to steal or copy a person’s unique olfactory fingerprint.
Touch
Touch or tactition is a perception resulting from activation of neural receptors in the skin, hair follicles, tongue, throat, and mucosa. A variety of pressure receptors respond to variations in pressure (firm, brushing, sustained, etc).
The touch sense of itching caused by insect bites or allergies involves special itch-specific neurons in the skin and spinal cord. Paresthesia is a sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of the skin that may result from nerve damage.
Balance and Acceleration
Balance or vestibular sense is the sense which allows an organism to sense body movement, and acceleration, and maintain postural balance. The organ of balance is the vestibular labyrinth system found in both of the inner ears.
