Beyond the famous five senses, kinesthesis tells you the position and movement of your body parts, even with your eyes closed.
Receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints detect stretch and tension, which is how you can touch your nose without looking.
The vestibular sense detects the position and movement of your head and helps you keep your balance.
Fluid in the semicircular canals of the inner ear moves with your head, stimulating receptor cells; after spinning, the still-moving fluid makes you feel like you're spinning.
Key terms
kinesthesis
The sense of the position and movement of your body parts, from receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints.
vestibular sense
The sense that detects the position and movement of your head and helps maintain balance.
semicircular canals
Fluid-filled inner-ear structures next to the cochlea whose moving fluid signals head movement for balance.
Watch out
Kinesthesis = position and movement of body parts; vestibular sense = head position, movement, and balance.
The semicircular canals are for balance; don't confuse them with the cochlea, which is for hearing (see Hearing I).