Chapter 50. Taste Sensations

Learning Objectives

papillae

bumps on the surface of the tongue, each containing about 200 taste buds

taste receptor cell

specialized cells within a taste bud that detect a particular type of chemical in food and send taste messages to the brain

taste bud

complex structure inside tongue papillae, each containing 50 to 100 taste receptor cells

taste sensations

basic flavors that are each generated by a single type of taste receptor; sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami (savory)

sensory receptors

specialized cells in the sensory systems that can capture energy or information from a stimulus and convert that information into neural impulses

Taste Sensations

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Learning Objectives:

Identify the sensory receptors for taste.

Describe the five main taste sensations.

Review

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1. How do we taste the food we eat? Chemical molecules in the food stimulate sensory receptors on our tongue and other areas of the mouth.

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There are two images in the figure. The left image is a microscopic view of the tongue with many papillae evident as a few large columns and many smaller columns.

Science Source/Getty Images

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2. Scattered across the tongue are thousands of small and large bumps called papillae. The large papillae contain structures called taste buds. Ironically, the taste buds don’t taste anything. Instead, the 50 to 100 taste receptor cells inside each taste bud are stimulated by the chemicals in food, and they send messages to the brain. If these cells are damaged by hot foods, they regenerate in about two weeks.

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3. Humans have five different types of taste receptor cells that sense five basic tastes: the familiar tastes of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, plus a meaty taste called umami (sometimes called savory). All other flavors are combinations of these five basic tastes.

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4. In the past, people believed that the special receptors for each taste sensation were located in a particular region of the tongue, as shown in this outdated "taste map." But recent research has shown that sensitivity to all five basic tastes is spread across the entire tongue.

Practice: Detecting and Identifying Flavors

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Practice: Detecting and Identifying Flavors

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The animation starts with a woman licking an ice cream cone. We then zoom in on the woman's tongue and can see the papillae or small bumps on the surface of the tongue. A cross-section of the tongue is enlarged to show the different papillae on the tongue. The smaller papillae help us feel the texture of food. The larger papillae contain the taste receptors. The large papillae have deep vertical groves that allow food molecules to reach the taste buds. The taste buds are stacked horizontally inside the groves. When food molecules stimulate the tiny hairs on the outside of the taste pore, the taste receptor cells inside the taste bud are activated. The message is then sent to the brain via the sensory neuron.

Quiz 1

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Quiz 1

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The only structures that can actually respond to the different flavors are the:

small papillae

taste buds

taste receptor cells

Quiz 2

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Quiz 2

Drag these illustrations into the correct order by size, from the smallest structure to the largest structure. When all the illustrations have been placed, select the CHECK ANSWER button.

Small

Medium

Large

Perhaps you should go back to review the sensory receptors for taste.

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First image: Papilla on the surface of the tongue.

Taste bud

Papilla

Taste receptor cell

Conclusion

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