Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
07:40
Whole-Mount Staining, Visualization, and Analysis of Fungiform, Circumvallate, and Palate Taste Buds
Published on: February 11, 2021
Signaling mechanisms controlling taste cell function
1Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA. kmedler@buffalo.edu
Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression
|February 29, 2008
Summary
All organisms detect chemicals, with higher life forms using olfaction and taste. This review details the diverse signaling mechanisms taste cells use to detect various chemical stimuli.
Area of Science:
- Biology
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Biology
Background:
- Organisms rely on sensory systems to gather environmental data.
- Chemical detection is a universal biological capability, crucial for survival.
- Olfaction and taste are specialized chemical senses in higher organisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the signaling mechanisms of taste transduction.
- To explore how taste cells detect diverse chemical stimuli.
- To summarize current understanding of taste receptor cell signaling.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of sensory systems and chemical detection.
- Focus on taste cell signaling pathways.
- Analysis of diverse taste quality detection mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Taste perception involves detecting five qualities: bitter, sweet, salty, sour, and umami.
- Diverse chemical structures necessitate varied detection mechanisms in taste cells.
- Specific signaling pathways are employed for each taste quality.
Conclusions:
- Taste cell signaling is complex and diverse, reflecting the variety of chemical stimuli.
- Understanding these mechanisms is key to comprehending taste perception.
- Further research continues to elucidate the intricacies of taste transduction.
Related Concept Videos
01:24The 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...
01:43Gustation
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.
01:21G-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,...
Sensory organs,...
01:20Taste 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,...
01:23Overview of Cell Signaling
Despite the protective membrane that separates a cell from the environment, cells need the ability to detect and respond to environmental changes. Additionally, cells often need to communicate with one another. Unicellular and multicellular organisms use a variety of cell signaling mechanisms to communicate with the environment.
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...
01:23Overview of Cell Signaling
Despite the protective membrane that separates a cell from the environment, cells need the ability to detect and respond to environmental changes. Additionally, cells often need to communicate with one another. Unicellular and multicellular organisms use a variety of cell signaling mechanisms to communicate with the environment.
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...