Learning Objectives
- Learn about the five senses and sense organs
- Understand how animals use their senses to survive
- Know that some animals have much sharper senses than humans
- Appreciate the amazing world of animal senses
Key Concepts
Our Five Senses
We have five senses that help us understand the world around us. Our eyes help us see (sight). Our ears help us hear (hearing). Our nose helps us smell (smell). Our tongue helps us taste (taste). Our skin helps us feel (touch). These sense organs send information to our brain, and the brain tells us what is happening around us.
Animals with Super Senses
Many animals have senses that are much sharper than ours. Dogs can smell things that humans cannot; that is why police use dogs to find hidden things. Eagles can see a tiny mouse from high up in the sky. Bats can hear very high-pitched sounds that humans cannot hear at all. Snakes can sense heat from other animals using special pits on their face. Dolphins use echolocation (sound bouncing) to find fish underwater.
How Animals Use Their Senses
Animals use their senses to find food, escape danger, and communicate with each other. Ants leave a scent trail for other ants to follow to food. Mosquitoes find us by smelling the carbon dioxide we breathe out and by sensing our body heat. Birds sing to find a mate and to mark their territory. Silkworm moths can smell a female moth from several kilometres away!
Nocturnal Animals
Some animals are active at night. They are called nocturnal animals. Owls have very large eyes that can see well in the dark. Cats have special eyes that shine in the dark and help them hunt at night. Bats are nocturnal and use sound to navigate. Most nocturnal animals have very good hearing or sense of smell to make up for the darkness.
Important Terms
- Senses: The five ways we take in information: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch
- Sense Organs: Body parts that detect senses: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin
- Nocturnal: Animals that are active at night and sleep during the day
- Echolocation: Using sound waves to find objects, used by bats and dolphins
- Predator: An animal that hunts other animals for food
- Prey: An animal that is hunted by other animals
Quick Revision
- Five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch
- Sense organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin
- Dogs have a super sense of smell; eagles have super sight
- Bats and dolphins use echolocation to find their way
- Nocturnal animals are active at night (owls, bats, cats)
- Animals use their senses to find food and avoid danger