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Related Concept Videos

The Tongue and Taste Buds00:49

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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.
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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.
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Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive...
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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,...
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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...
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Conditioned taste aversion, also known as sauce béarnaise syndrome, is a phenomenon in which an individual develops an aversion to a certain food taste following a negative experience, typically illness. This form of aversion is a type of classical conditioning in which the taste of the food (conditioned stimulus, CS) is associated with the experience of illness (unconditioned stimulus, UCS).
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 5, 2026

Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test
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Published on: August 17, 2018

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The sixth taste?

Anthony Sclafani1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA. asclafani@gc.cuny.edu

Appetite
|July 21, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Rats can detect starch polysaccharides, suggesting a sixth taste beyond the five known human tastes. This taste differs from sugars, and the specific receptor for polysaccharides is still unknown.

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Area of Science:

  • Gustation research
  • Animal sensory perception
  • Chemosensation

Background:

  • Humans perceive five basic tastes: sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami.
  • Evidence suggests rats possess a sixth taste modality, potentially for polysaccharides.
  • The molecular mechanisms of sweet taste involve T1R2 and T1R3 receptors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the existence and nature of a potential sixth taste in rats.
  • To explore the rat's ability to perceive and discriminate starch-derived polysaccharides.
  • To differentiate polysaccharide taste from sugar taste and identify potential receptors.

Main Methods:

  • Behavioral assays to assess taste perception and discrimination in rats.
  • Electrophysiological recordings to measure neural responses to taste stimuli.
  • Analysis of molecular differences in polysaccharide and starch compounds.

Main Results:

  • Behavioral and electrophysiological data indicate rats can taste polysaccharides.
  • The taste quality of polysaccharides differs significantly from that of sugars.
  • Rats demonstrate the ability to discriminate between different polysaccharide and starch molecules.

Conclusions:

  • Rats possess a taste modality for polysaccharides, distinct from known tastes.
  • This finding supports the hypothesis of a sixth taste in certain species.
  • The specific taste receptor for polysaccharides remains unidentified and requires further research.