Which of the following is NOT one of the human senses?

The correct answer is that balance is not traditionally classified as one of the human senses in the same way that taste, hearing, and smell are. The human senses commonly refer to the five main senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.

Taste, hearing, and smell are specific modalities where sensory receptors detect stimuli – taste buds for taste, auditory receptors for hearing, and olfactory receptors for smell. These senses are well-defined and have distinct physiological mechanisms associated with them.

Balance, however, while it is a crucial aspect of human physiology, is more accurately described as part of the vestibular system, which is closely related to inner ear functions and helps maintain posture and equilibrium. It does not fit into the conventional list of the five senses, which focus more on the perception of external environmental stimuli through specific sensory modalities.