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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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.

Review

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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.
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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that the special receptors for each taste sensation were located in a particular region of the tongue, as shown in this outdated "taste map."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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Quiz 1

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Quiz 1

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

illustration: Taste Sensations
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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
Second image:  Taste receptor cell.Papilla
Third image: Taste bud.Taste receptor cell

Conclusion

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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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