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Related Concept Videos

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...
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.
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,...
Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...

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Related Experiment Video

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New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding
10:59

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Published on: June 29, 2017

Encoding of gustatory working memory by orbitofrontal neurons.

Antonio H Lara1, Steven W Kennerley, Jonathan D Wallis

  • 1Department of Psychology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3190, USA.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|January 23, 2009
PubMed
Summary

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) maintains gustatory working memory, supporting a content model of prefrontal cortex organization. This finding highlights OFC

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Sensory Processing

Background:

  • The prefrontal cortex (PFC) content model posits specialized information processing based on connectivity.
  • Previous research focused on visual, auditory, and somatosensory working memory, with less clarity on gustatory information.
  • Widespread projections to lateral PFC complicate model verification for non-gustatory senses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in gustatory working memory.
  • To test the PFC content model using gustatory stimuli.
  • To determine the neural correlates of gustatory information maintenance in the PFC.

Main Methods:

  • Single-neuron recordings in PFC and gustatory cortex (GUS) of two subjects.
  • A gustatory delayed-match-to-sample task with gustatory distraction.
  • Analysis of neuronal activity encoding gustatory stimulus identity across delay periods.

Main Results:

  • Neurons encoding gustatory identity were most prevalent in OFC and GUS.
  • Dorsolateral PFC and ventrolateral PFC showed fewer gustatory working memory neurons.
  • Gustatory information in OFC demonstrated greater resilience to distraction.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support the PFC content model for gustatory working memory.
  • OFC plays a key role in maintaining gustatory information.
  • OFC's gustatory working memory function may contribute to reward processing and decision-making.