Final answer:
Babies experience the world through five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. These senses are integral for perceiving the environment, and sight is the least developed sense at birth, while touch is one of the first developed and crucial for bonding.
Step-by-step explanation:
Name the Five Senses
The baby has to experience the world using the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. These senses are critical for interacting with the environment and are linked to different sensory systems.
How We See
Vision or sight is the ability to perceive light and recognize shapes, colors, and depth. This is possible due to the light-sensitive cells in the retina at the back of the eye.
How We Hear
Hearing involves the detection of sound waves through the ear, which are then translated into signals that the brain understands. The outer ear collects sound waves, the middle ear amplifies them, and the inner ear converts them into electrical signals.
Taste and Smell in Newborns
Babies can respond to different tastes, showing a preference for sweet tastes. Newborns also have a discernible sense of smell and can distinguish the scent of their mother. Taste and smell are closely related, and a stuffy nose can affect the sense of taste.
Importance of Touch
Touch encompesses sensations such as pressure, pain, and temperature. It's vital for newborns, as it's one of the first developed senses that allows them to bond and communicate with their carers.