Which sense allows us to distinguish different textures and temperatures?

The sense that allows us to distinguish different textures and temperatures is kinesthesis. This sense relates to our awareness of body position and movement, particularly concerning how our body interacts with objects in our environment. Kinesthetic receptors, located in the skin, muscles, and joints, provide feedback about physical sensations such as touch, pressure, temperature, and texture. This feedback enables us to interpret the surfaces we come into contact with, helping us to recognize smooth surfaces versus rough ones and to feel the warmth of an object.

Other senses like olfaction and gustation pertain to our ability to smell and taste, respectively, while the vestibular sense is related to balance and spatial orientation, not texture or temperature. Thus, kinesthesis is the correct answer, as it encompasses the tactile sensations necessary for perceiving texture and temperature.