Sense of Taste

(Gestation)
Submitted By: Edward Barrenechea Eulysses Edquilag Marga Gonzales Patricia Lopez Isabel Reyes Section: 1BES2 Submitted To: Ms. Bolanos

The tongue comes into contact with the object that is tasted. Then the taste buds found in the papillae, convert the chemical stimuli into electrical energy. The taste receptor cells make contact with nerve fibers innervating the tongue. The taste receptor cells pass the electrical messages to the neurons. The neurons send the electrical messages through the brainstem, thalamus, and the primary gustatory cortex of the brain. The sense of taste is greatly enhanced by the sense of smell, and by feeling the texture and physical/chemical temperature of foods. In fact, the experience of flavour is really a combination of a number of senses besides taste. Inside the mouth there are approximately ten thousand taste buds (also calledgustatory calyculi). These are found mainly on the tongue, on or around small lumps called papillae, as well as on the soft palate, epiglottis and pharynx. Each of these taste buds is able detect five basic taste sensations. These are sweet,sour, salty, bitter and unami (savoury). (Scientists are now considering that fatmay be a sixth basic taste.) Each taste bud contains about fifty to one hundred receptor cells. Each of these cells has a long, hair-like protrusion that extends from a small opening where it comes into contact with food chemicals it finds dissolved insaliva. Each receptor will respond best to one of the five basic tastes. Once stimulated, these cells send nerve impulses containing the taste information to the brain, where the signals are interpreted in several areas of the cerebral cortex.

Glossary of Terms Gustation the chemical sense of taste through receptor cells in taste buds in fungiform papillae on the tongue and roof of the mouth, or in the throat.
Thalamus responsible for processing of incoming information from all senses

Brain stem the brain structure that regulates the bodys basic life processes. Tastebuds cluster of taste receptor cells found in the papillae Umami The Japanese word for delicious or yummy, which describes the flavor of Lgluatmine Supertaster individuals with the most number of tastebuds Nontasters individuals with the least number of tastebuds Taster an individual with an average number of tastebuds Primary taste cortex - respond solely to sensory input from taste receptors and lingual somatosensory receptors.