Final answer:
Aging affects sensory functions such as vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch due to diminished receptor cells, reduced neuroplasticity, and changes in sensory pathways, with a pronounced impact after the age of 50.
Step-by-step explanation:
During aging, there are notable changes in sensory function due to various factors such as the decline of receptor cells, reduced neuroplasticity, and alterations in sensory pathways. The most common sensory domains affected by aging include vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.
Visual changes may involve decreased pupil size, reduced color vision, and a decrease in visual acuity, while auditory changes often include a reduced ability to hear high-frequency sounds and difficulty in distinguishing sounds in noisy environments. Taste and smell senses can diminish, leading to a decreased ability to identify flavors and scents. Additionally, the sense of touch can become less sensitive, particularly in the extremities, due to changes in the skin and the nervous system. The concept of neuroplasticity implies that although our nervous system has the ability to adapt and reorganize after damage, this capacity diminishes with age, making recovery and adjustment to sensory changes more challenging.