Adaptation and its Impact on Human Sensory System

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Table of Contents

Experiment 1
Experiment 2
Experiment 3
Discussion
References

Experiment 1

After rubbing the fingers over the coarse sandpaper a few times, its coarseness can be identified as 6 according to the 1-7 scale. When 1-2 minutes have passed, one can repeat the actions rubbing the same fingers over the sandpaper. This time the perception of the coarseness is changed and is evaluated in 5 according to the scale. The results of the experiment can be easily explained.

When a person rubs one’s fingers over coarse sandpaper for the first type, he experiences new physical sensations. With every further rubbing, a human sensory system becomes more adapted to coarseness of the sandpaper and that is why it is perceived at a lower level.

Experiment 2

There are two cups, one of which contains sugar water, and the other has fresh water. Taking a sugar water sip and swishing it in one’s mouth for several seconds, one can feel some changes in water taste, which becomes less sweet. After that, it is necessary to take a sip of freshwater. What are the feelings? They are really surprising, because freshwater tastes as sweet. This can be explained by the following factors: 1) our sensory system adapted to sweet taste of the water; 2) there are some molecules of sugar left in the mouth, where sweet water was kept for several seconds.

Experiment 3

There are three bowls with water; one contains hot water, one has cold water, and the third has the mixture of hot and cold water. Arranging the bowls in a proper order, the right hand is submerged into cold water and the left one is submerged into hot water for several minutes. When the time is over, both hands should be transferred into the bowl with warm water. What are the results?

When the hands are transferred to the warm water, they feel no contrast in temperature change for some seconds. It should be noted that the period of adaptation takes some time for our sensory system to switch to another sensory environment.

Discussion

Adaptation is the process of sensual adjustment to any physical environmental changes. All the three experiments discussed above, illustrate the processes of neural, or sensory adaptation of human sensory system to environment changes. Taking into account evolutionary perspective, adaptation is considered to be an important process; it impacts human sensory adjustment to any environmental changes adapting sensory receptors to external interference. It is necessary to underline the fact that the human sensory system contains the following sub-systems: auditory system, gustatory, olfactory, visual and somatosensory systems. Every system is connected with definite sensory receptors, which can be the following: photoreceptors, thermoreceptors, nociceptors, chemosensors and mechanoreceptors.

The analysis of the experiments described above underlined the involvement of two sensory systems: somatosensory system and gustatory system. The experiments 1 and 3 were based on somatosensory system, which experiences such sensations as touch (experiment with coarseness) and temperature (the experiment with hot and cold water). The experiment 2 was based on the experience of taste receptions. Both experiments proved close connection between sensory system and the process of adaptation, adjusting our organism to rapid changed of physical environment. (Csilliag, 2005).

References

Csilliag, A. (2005). Atlas of the sensory organs: functional and clinical anatomy. Humana Press.

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Adaptation and its Impact on Human Sensory System

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