Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Gustation

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.

Olfaction

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...

The Physiology of Taste

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...

Taste Buds and Receptors

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,...

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

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 Pathway

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Relative impact of multidomain lifestyle interventions on deficit accumulation frailty over 24 months in the U.S. POINTER trial.

The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences·2026

Same author

Clinical Manifestations.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2025

Same author

Public Health.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2025

Same author

A lateralized pathway for associating nutrients with flavors.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

In defense of pleasure: We need to rethink food reward and obesity.

PLoS biology·2025

Same author

Implementation of an Alzheimer's Disease Blood Test: Adoption Experience by Memory Care Specialists in a Multi-Center Study.

Journal of personalized medicine·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

Published on: June 29, 2017

The insular taste cortex contributes to odor quality coding.

Maria G Veldhuizen¹, Danielle Nachtigal, Lynsey Teulings

¹The John B Pierce Laboratory New Haven, CT, USA.

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

|August 12, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The insular taste cortex, not the olfactory cortex, processes sweet odor sensations. This brain region uniquely responds to sweet food odors, suggesting a shared flavor processing mechanism developed through taste experience.

Keywords:

fMRI flavor gustatory insula multimodal olfactory piriform sweet

More Related Videos

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Published on: April 11, 2025

Whole-Mount Staining, Visualization, and Analysis of Fungiform, Circumvallate, and Palate Taste Buds

Whole-Mount Staining, Visualization, and Analysis of Fungiform, Circumvallate, and Palate Taste Buds

Published on: February 11, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

Published on: June 29, 2017

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Published on: April 11, 2025

Whole-Mount Staining, Visualization, and Analysis of Fungiform, Circumvallate, and Palate Taste Buds

Whole-Mount Staining, Visualization, and Analysis of Fungiform, Circumvallate, and Palate Taste Buds

Published on: February 11, 2021

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory Perception
Chemosensation

Background:

Distinct peripheral and central pathways exist for olfactory and gustatory systems.
The sensation of sweetness can arise from stimulating either the olfactory or gustatory systems.
It remains unclear if a common central mechanism or discrete pathways generate sweet sensations from different stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether odor sweetness is represented in the piriform olfactory cortex or the insular taste cortex using fMRI.
To determine the central neural mechanisms underlying the perception of sweetness from both taste and smell.

Main Methods:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to study brain activity.
Participants experienced pure sweet taste (sucrose) and sweet odors (food-based and floral).
Brain responses were analyzed in relation to odor type, concentration, and subjective sweetness ratings.

Main Results:

Olfactory stimulation activated the piriform, orbitofrontal, and insular cortices, consistent with prior research.
The insula showed response to both sweet taste and sweet odors.
Crucially, the insular response to food odors (but not floral odors) correlated positively with perceived odor sweetness.

Conclusions:

The insular taste cortex plays a role in coding odor quality, specifically representing taste-like aspects of food odors.
This finding suggests a common central mechanism for processing sweetness, particularly for food-related olfactory stimuli.
This shared mechanism likely develops through the integration of taste and smell during flavor perception.