Chapter 50. Taste Sensations

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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Photo: Close-up photo of a person eating a distinctive and attractive food, such as a strawberry

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Learning Objectives:

Identify the sensory receptors for taste.

Describe the five main taste sensations.

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The figure is an image of an open mouth with the tongue exposed. Bumps on the tongue get larger further back on the tongue.

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.

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The second image is the structure of the taste bud. The taste bud resembles a large onion with small hairs at the top, which are the papillae on the surface of the tongue. The middle, bulbous portion of the taste bud, contains taste receptor cells. These cells are connected at the base of the taste bud.

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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The five tastes are listed with pictures of foods for each. Sweet is presented with sugar cubes and honey. Salty is presented with salt. Sour is presented with an orange and lime. Bitter is presented with coffee. Umami is presented with cheese and soy sauce.

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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An image of the tongue appears with various portions labeled with the five tastes. Sweet appears at the tip of the tongue. Salty and sour are on the sides of the tongue. Bitter appears at the back of the tongue. The image is crossed out.

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.

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Practice: Detecting and Identifying Flavors

Select the PLAY button to watch the sense of taste in action.

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Quiz 1

Answer the question. Then, select the CHECK ANSWER button.

Try to answer the question again.

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

small papillae

taste buds

taste receptor cells

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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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Taste bud

Papilla

Taste receptor cell

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Congratulations!

You have completed the activity Taste Sensations.