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Related Concept Videos

The Tongue and Taste Buds00:49

The Tongue and Taste Buds

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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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Gustation01:43

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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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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.
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Taste Buds and Receptors01:20

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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 Physiology of Taste01:24

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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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Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

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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.
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Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test
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The receptors and coding logic for bitter taste.

Ken L Mueller1, Mark A Hoon, Isolde Erlenbach

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0649, USA.

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|March 11, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Bitter taste receptors (T2Rs) are crucial for detecting toxic substances. This study shows T2Rs are essential for bitter perception and that their placement determines taste responses, guiding animal behavior.

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Area of Science:

  • Sensory biology
  • Molecular biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Bitter taste detection is a vital defense mechanism against ingesting toxins.
  • Taste receptors, specifically T2Rs (taste 2 receptors), are G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) involved in sensing bitter compounds.
  • Understanding T2R function is key to comprehending bitter taste perception and its evolutionary significance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the necessity and sufficiency of T2R receptors in bitter taste detection and perception.
  • To explore how species-specific differences in T2Rs influence bitter taste selectivity.
  • To elucidate the role of dedicated bitter sensing cells in mediating behavioral aversion.

Main Methods:

  • Genetic manipulation of T2R expression in mice.
  • Behavioral assays to assess taste preferences and aversions.
  • Physiological recordings to measure taste responses.

Main Results:

  • T2R receptors were found to be both necessary and sufficient for detecting and perceiving bitter compounds.
  • Species-specific T2R variations dictate the range of bitter substances detected.
  • Expressing bitter receptors in 'sweet cells' induced attraction to bitter tastants, while expression in T2R cells led to aversion.

Conclusions:

  • Dedicated peripheral cells function as broadly tuned bitter sensors.
  • The neural wiring of these bitter sensors dictates behavioral aversion to noxious substances.
  • This study clarifies the fundamental principles of peripheral bitter taste coding.