Exploring Our Special Senses
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Objective
I can describe how the special senses (hearing, vision, taste, smell, and balance) function.
Part 1 of 4
Warm-up video
CrashCourse · 10:30Vetted channel
We don't generate video — this one is by CrashCourse on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.
Part 2 of 4
Key concepts
3 concepts
- 1
Anosmia is the partial or complete loss of smell, which can also affect the ability to taste.
- 2
For you to smell something, the odorant must be volatile, or in a gaseous state, so it can enter your nose.
- 3
Taste buds are made of specialized epithelial cells, not nervous tissue, that send signals to sensory neurons, which then carry information to the brain.
Part 3 of 4
Practice
3 questions
Olivia's anosmia (loss of smell) has diminished her sense of taste. Which of the following best explains the physiological connection between smell and taste?
True or False: Olfaction begins with odor molecules binding to receptors on mitral cells in the olfactory epithelium, which then directly transmit signals to the glomeruli for processing.
Part 4 of 4
Exit ticket
Quick comprehension check
“Explain how olfactory sensory neurons contribute to the sense of smell, detailing their role in detecting odorants and transmitting signals to the brain.”
Sample answer included in the free materials
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Teacher guide, student handout, and slides — free, in Google Docs format
Teacher Guide
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