Human Sensory Organs
Primary 4 · Science and Elementary Technology
Human Sensory Organs
Lesson 1 of 5
12 min
Let's begin
Keza walks through the market with her mother. She sees red tomatoes piled high. She hears a moto hooting. She smells maize roasting on a charcoal stove. She tastes a sweet banana her mother buys her, and she feels the rough skin of a pineapple.
In one minute, Keza used all five of her senses!
Your sense organs collect information about the world around you. They send messages along nerves to your brain, and your brain works out what the messages mean.
| Sense organ | Sense | It tells you about |
|---|---|---|
| Eyes | sight | light, colour, shape, size and movement |
| Ears | hearing | sounds (the ears also help you keep your balance) |
| Nose | smell | smells in the air (the nose also helps you breathe) |
| Tongue | taste | sweet, sour, salty and bitter |
| Skin | touch | hot and cold, pain, pressure, rough and smooth |
Some people cannot see or cannot hear. Their other senses help them. A blind person can read Braille, raised dots that are read with the fingertips. Many deaf people talk with their hands in sign language, such as Rwandan Sign Language. Everyone deserves to be included and respected.
Tip
Count your senses on one hand: see (eyes), hear (ears), smell (nose), taste (tongue), touch (skin). Five fingers, five senses!
Try each one first, then tap Show answer to check.
Which sense organ do you use to hear a moto hooting?
Answer: The ears.
Which part of the body receives the messages from the sense organs?
Answer: The brain. The nerves carry the messages there.
Name the sense that warns you that a pan is hot before you touch it for long.
Answer: Touch. Your skin feels the heat.
How can a blind person read?
Answer: With their fingertips, by feeling Braille (raised dots).
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The exercises (Try it yourself and the practice questions) are written by Ganzaa.
Quick check
Match each sense organ to its sense.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
