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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Psychophysical Tracking Method to Measure Taste Preferences in Children and Adults

Psychophysical Tracking Method to Measure Taste Preferences in Children and Adults

Published on: July 16, 2016

Genetics of human taste perception.

U-K Kim¹, P A S Breslin, D Reed

¹National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, 5 Research Court, Room 2B46, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.

Journal of Dental Research

|May 22, 2004

Summary

Genetic research is advancing our understanding of taste perception, particularly bitter taste via TAS2R genes and sweet/umami tastes through TAS1R receptors. Salty and sour tastes remain areas for future genetic investigation.

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Last Updated: Jul 14, 2026

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Psychophysical Tracking Method to Assess Taste Detection Thresholds in Children, Adolescents, and Adults: The Taste Detection Threshold (TDT) Test

Psychophysical Tracking Method to Assess Taste Detection Thresholds in Children, Adolescents, and Adults: The Taste Detection Threshold (TDT) Test

Published on: April 21, 2021

Area of Science:

Genetics of Taste Perception
Molecular Biology of Sensory Systems
Human Taste Genetics

Background:

The sense of taste is crucial for survival, influencing food selection and detecting toxins.
Genetic variations significantly impact individual differences in taste abilities.
Understanding the genetic basis of taste is key to addressing dietary behaviors and health.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent advancements in the genetic understanding of human taste perception.
To highlight the molecular and genetic studies contributing to taste receptor gene discovery.
To identify future research opportunities in the genetics of taste.

Main Methods:

Exploration of taste receptor genes, including the TAS2R family for bitter taste.
Application of genetic linkage and positional cloning studies, exemplified by phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) tasting.
Molecular genetic characterization of TAS1R receptors mediating sweet and umami tastes.

Main Results:

Significant progress has been made in characterizing bitter taste genetics through TAS2R gene discovery and PTC tasting studies.
Sweet and umami taste perception is increasingly understood at the molecular genetic level via TAS1R receptors.
Genetic studies on salty and sour tastes are still in early stages, presenting future research avenues.

Conclusions:

Genetic approaches are fundamental to unraveling the complexities of human taste perception.
The TAS2R and TAS1R gene families are key to understanding bitter, sweet, and umami taste genetics.
Further genetic research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms of salty and sour taste perception.