2/15/20203.1: Vision and the Eye: Essential Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab- Burtt1/73.1: Vision and the EyeThe Special SensesThe five special senses vision, smell, taste, hearing, and equilibrium (balance) are the senses thathave specialized organs containing specialized receptor cells, which carry their impulses by way ofspecialized somatic and visceral afferents. The other sense, touch, is a somatic sense that does nothave a specialized sense organ. Instead, touch uses general receptors composed of modifieddendrites of sensory neurons. Touch includes pressure, vibration, pain, heat, and the combinedinformation is carried in general somatic afferents and general visceral afferents.Vision and the EyeThe organ responsible for sight is the eye, and it consists of three layers. The outer fibrous layerincludes the sclera and cornea. The posterior portion is known as thesclera(Figure 3.1), also11:03