- The chemical senses of taste and smell detect chemicals through receptors in the tongue and nose. Taste receptors are located in gustatory hairs on the tongue and adapt rapidly, while smell receptors are in the olfactory epithelium. - Vision involves the detection of light, which is refracted and focused by the eye's lens onto the retina. Photoreceptors contain photopigments that transduce light into nerve signals. - Hearing detects sound waves that excite hair cells in the cochlea. The inner ear also contains receptors for static and dynamic equilibrium that help with balance and orientation. Homeostatic imbalances can impair these senses.