Like humans, the senses in animals are well developed. Only some have more developed hearing, while others have vision. Animals use them to determine what is happening around. Animals that are exclusively nocturnal (cats, owls, mice) can use their eyesight to increase even the weakest light. And those living in constant darkness (cave salamanders, moles) are characterized by a small eye size or their absence. Smell, taste, hearing - all these senses in animals are. And they help them survive in the cruel world of the environment.
Sensory organs in fish
The sensory organs in fish are approximately the same as in other vertebrates, only in their structure there are significant differences that are caused by adaptation to the mysterious life in water. In addition to the 5 standard sensory organs, fish also have the so-called “sixth sense”, which was lost by terrestrial animals. And this is a certain organ of the lateral line.
With the help of irreplaceable organs of taste, smell of fish, they remarkably feel the most insignificant changes occurring in the environment, the concentration of hydrogen sulfide, as well as carbon dioxide, etc. The fish can distinguish the nature of the nearest soil, feel touch, and even feel pain. The whole complex of these effects is perceived by those sensitive cells that are located in the skin and in the internal organs.
The fish olfactory organs are closely located in the nostrils, which in the fish are not through, but are a bit like small two-necked cones located on top of both sides of the snout. The severity of smell in them is extremely high, especially in catfish, burbot.
The taste organs of the fish are some clusters of sensory cells called taste buds. They are numerous in the throat of the fish, the oral cavity, on the antennae, branchial arches, chin, and even in the skin of the body itself.
The temperature sensory organs in animals, especially in fish, are very finely developed. It was experimentally established that fish can distinguish such subtle fluctuations in the amount of heat that are equal to hundredths of one degree. But such a rather acute sensitivity by nature is characteristic only of underwater animals. Changes in temperature can only be perceived by special nerve cells that are located in the skin at points of cold and heat.
The organs of the lateral line definitely play a huge role in the daily life of fish:
- help them withstand a specific, specific distance from one another in the pack;
- help to navigate;
- help to feel the approach of enemies or, conversely, feed organisms.
Hearing organs also perceive almost all vibrations of the aquatic environment, but only more harmonious, high-frequency or sound ones.
Fish are naturally myopic. After all, light in water does not spread well. Their eyes are always open, as there is no eyelid. The eye lens is spherical, which makes it possible to capture a large number of useful light rays. The field of view is large enough. But at the same time, each eye gives its own image, that is, the vision in fish is monocular. It is common for fish to distinguish colors.
Sensory organs of insects
The vision of insects is of great importance in their life. The main features of vision are due to the ocular facet structure. Insects are naturally nearsighted - the reach of their clear vision does not exceed 1-2 cm. They see excellent color and movement, including ultraviolet light.
Perception of smell makes a special stereochemical feeling in insects. Sensitive cells in insects (those that perceive odor) are located in almost all on the antennae (and on the legs or other appendages). Each antennae can independently move, therefore insects perceive a smell together with a direction and space, for them it is such a single feeling - a volume smell.
These are the senses in animals. They are all very different and very interesting.