Humans possess more than five senses that help us navigate the world.
There are five basic human senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste. The sensory organs associated with each sense send information to the brain, helping us understand and perceive the world around us. However, in addition to these five basic senses, humans also have other senses. What are these lesser-known senses?
Sixth Sense: Proprioception
In addition to the traditional five senses, there is another sense known as proprioception, which relates to how your brain understands where your body is located in space.
Proprioception includes the sense of movement and the position of our limbs and muscles. For example, proprioception allows a person to touch their nose with their finger even when their eyes are closed. It also enables us to maintain balance on one leg. Individuals with poor proprioceptive abilities may be clumsy and lack coordination.
In addition to the five basic senses, humans also have other senses.
Patients may be asked to touch their nose and then touch the examiner’s finger as part of a proprioception test to assess their spatial awareness.
A small study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2016 revealed that a gene called PIEZO2 may play a crucial role in proprioceptive awareness. Researchers decoded this after discovering that mutations in the gene caused two patients to experience balance and movement issues, as well as a loss of certain tactile sensations.
Alexander Chesler, the lead author of the study and a senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), stated in a related announcement: “The PIEZO2 in the patients may not be functioning, so their neurons cannot detect touch movement or limbs.”
Seventh Sense: Additional Sensations
There are subtler senses that most people never truly perceive. For instance, specific receptors in our muscles detect our movements, while other receptors in our arteries sense oxygen levels in certain parts of the blood.
Sometimes, individuals can simultaneously perceive multiple unrelated sensations. For example, people with synesthesia may see sounds as colors or associate certain images with smells.
Receptor cells in the ears help control balance.
