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Related Concept Videos

The Tongue and Taste Buds00:49

The Tongue and Taste Buds

The surface of the tongue is covered with various small bumps called papillae, which either distribute what has been ingested (filiform papillae) or contain the sensory taste (or gustatory) receptor cells (fungiform, circumvallate, and foliate papillae). Embedded within each taste-related papilla are the taste buds—clusters of 30 to 100 gustatory receptor cells.
Gustation01:43

Gustation

Gustation is a chemical sense that, along with olfaction (smell), contributes to our perception of taste. It starts with the activation of receptors by chemical compounds (tastants) dissolved in the saliva. The saliva and filiform papillae on the tongue distribute the tastants and increase their exposure to the taste receptors.
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory organs,...
Taste Buds and Receptors01:20

Taste Buds and Receptors

Gustation, or the sense of taste, is intrinsically linked to the anatomical structures located on the tongue. This organ's surface, along with the entirety of the oral cavity, is adorned with stratified squamous epithelium. Evident on the tongue are elevated structures known as papillae (singular = papilla), which house the mechanisms for the transduction of gustatory stimuli. Four distinct types of papillae exist, each identified by their unique morphological attributes: the circumvallate,...
The Physiology of Taste01:24

The Physiology of Taste

The perception of a salty flavor is facilitated by sodium ions within the oral salivary fluid. Upon consumption of a salty substance, salt crystals disassemble, leading to the liberation of its constituents—Na+ and Cl- ions. These ions subsequently dissolve into the salivary fluid present in the oral cavity. The external environment of the gustatory cells experiences an elevation in Na+ concentration, thereby establishing a potent concentration gradient. This gradient propels the diffusion of...
Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding
10:59

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Published on: June 29, 2017

Acid detection by taste receptor cells.

J A DeSimone1, V Lyall, G L Heck

  • 1Department of Physiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA. jdesimon@hsc.vcu.edu

Respiration Physiology
|December 12, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sour taste detection involves complex mechanisms in taste receptor cells (TRCs). This study explores how acids stimulate TRCs, focusing on pH changes and cellular responses.

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Published on: February 11, 2021

Area of Science:

  • * Sensory Biology
  • * Molecular Physiology
  • * Taste Perception

Background:

  • * Sourness, a primary taste, triggers innate rejection responses, potentially protecting against spoiled food.
  • * Acid sensing in taste receptor cells (TRCs) is complex due to species variability and differing mechanisms for strong vs. weak acids.
  • * TRCs are polarized epithelial cells with distinct apical and basolateral membrane properties, complicating acid-sensing investigations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate the cellular mechanisms by which acidic stimuli excite TRCs.
  • * To review proposed acid-sensing mechanisms in taste cells, including channel activity and intracellular pH regulation.
  • * To emphasize the role of pH-tracking in TRCs during acid perception.

Main Methods:

  • * Review of proposed cellular mechanisms for acid sensing in TRCs.
  • * Analysis of stimulus-evoked changes in intracellular pH (pH(i)) and their relationship with extracellular pH (pH(o)).
  • * Comparison of acid-sensing mechanisms in TRCs with those in other mammalian acid-sensing cells (e.g., carotid body cells, neurons).

Main Results:

  • * Multiple mechanisms are proposed for acid sensing, including ion channel activity (K+, Ca2+, Na+, Cl-) and proton-gated channels (BNC-1).
  • * Acid-induced intracellular pH changes in TRCs resemble those in other acid-sensing cells.
  • * Isolated TRCs exhibit a linear pH(i)-pH(o) relationship with a slope near unity, indicating pH-tracking capabilities.

Conclusions:

  • * TRCs exhibit pH-tracking, similar to other acid-sensing cells, showing a near unity slope for pH(i)/pH(o).
  • * TRCs regulate intracellular pH under iso-extracellular conditions but fail to regulate when extracellular pH decreases.
  • * Understanding these pH-tracking mechanisms is crucial for elucidating sour taste perception.