Discover how our five senses help us explore the world, and how animals often sense things very differently from us.
A 60-second animated look at how animals use smell, hearing and touch. Video coming soon.
Our body has five main senses that help us understand the world: sight (eyes), hearing (ears), smell (nose), taste (tongue), and touch (skin).
Which sense organ do we use to hear sounds?
The ears
Which sense organ helps us feel if something is hot, cold, rough, or smooth?
The skin (sense of touch)
Many animals have senses that are much sharper than ours, or sense things humans cannot detect at all — like a dog's powerful sense of smell or a bat's use of sound to "see" in the dark.
How do bats find their way and locate food in complete darkness?
They send out sounds and listen to the echoes that bounce back, a method called echolocation
Name one animal known for having a much sharper sense of smell than humans.
A dog (dogs can detect smells thousands of times fainter than humans can)
1. Name the five senses.
2. Which sense organ do we use to see?
3. Which sense organ do we use to taste food?
4. What special ability do bats use to move around in the dark?
5. Why might a blind person's sense of hearing or touch become sharper than usual?