Page 258 - DK Children's Encyclopedia

Touch SEE ALSO

▸ ▸ Body cells p.41
▸ ▸ Brain p.45
Touching is how we feel the world around us. When we ▸ ▸ Human body
touch something, sensors in our skin send information p.130
to our brain. We can tell if things are rough or smooth, ▸ ▸ Muscles p.173

hot or cold, and how much something pushes against us. ▸ ▸ Skin p.229
▸ ▸ Temperature
p.252

Feeling things
There are tiny sensors in our skin called
cells or neurons. These neurons collect
information about what we touch and
send electrical signals to the brain.

Hot and cold
We can detect if
things are hot or
cold. If something
is too hot, our skin
tells us to move
away quickly.

Hard and soft
We can feel how hard
things are by how much
they push back against
our touch.

Blind people can
read by touching a
series of tiny bumps
on a page called
braille.
Smooth
and rough
We are able to feel
very small bumps
and differences
Pain in texture.
The neurons in
your skin can also
detect damage. If
we cut or burn
ourselves, the
neurons send a Wet and dry
message to our We can tell the
brain that we difference between
feel as pain. wet, sticky, and dry
things just by
touching them.

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