The Five Senses
1 / 15How many basic tastes can the human tongue detect?
About The Five Senses
The Five Senses is a free general knowledge quiz with 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 7 easy, 5 medium, 3 hard questions. Explore how sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch let the body experience the world. A typical run takes about 7 minutes, hints are always one tap away, and your streak ticks up the first time you finish a game on a given day.
A few sample questions
1. How many basic tastes can the human tongue detect?
Answer: Five
Scientists recognize five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (savory). Umami was identified in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda.
2. Which part of the eye controls how much light enters it?
Answer: The pupil
The pupil is the dark opening in the center of the eye that widens in dim light and narrows in bright light. The colored ring around it, called the iris, is what actually controls the pupil's size.
3. What is the name of the tiny bone in the ear that helps transmit sound vibrations?
Answer: Stirrup
The stirrup (also called the stapes) is the smallest bone in the entire human body and sits in the middle ear. Along with the hammer and anvil, it forms a chain that carries sound vibrations to the inner ear.
4. Approximately how many taste buds does the average adult have?
Answer: Around 10,000
Most adults have on the order of several thousand taste buds, with around 10,000 the figure traditionally quoted. They are replaced about every two weeks, and as we age the number decreases, which is one reason food can taste less intense in later life.
5. Which sense is most closely linked to memory and emotion in the brain?
Answer: Smell
Smell is uniquely wired to the brain's limbic system, which handles emotion and memory, making a familiar scent instantly trigger vivid recollections. This is sometimes called the Proust effect.
Things you'll learn along the way
- The retina lines the back of the eye and contains millions of light-sensitive cells called rods and cones. Rods detect light and dark while cones detect color.
- The cochlea is a fluid-filled, spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear that translates sound vibrations into electrical signals sent to the brain. Its name comes from the Latin word for snail.
- Cone cells, concentrated in the center of the retina, detect color and work best in bright light. There are three types sensitive to red, green, and blue light respectively.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in The Five Senses?
The Five Senses has 15 multiple-choice questions. Each one has four answer options and an explanation that appears after you answer, so you learn something even when you miss.
Is The Five Senses free to play?
Yes. The entire SeniorBrainGames catalog — including The Five Senses — is free, with no sign-up required, no time limits, and no ads on top of the game. It also works offline once the page has loaded once.
How long does The Five Senses take?
Most players finish The Five Senses in about 7 minutes. You can pause between questions, replay it as often as you like, and there is no penalty for taking your time — answers are explained after you submit them.
What's a good follow-up after The Five Senses?
If you enjoyed this general knowledge quiz, try the Daily Challenge — five rotating questions, refreshed every 24 hours, that count toward your streak. You can also use the Surprise Me button on the homepage to land on a different game type for variety.
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