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Gustation

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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

Published on: June 29, 2017

Peripheral chemosensing system for tastants and nutrients.

Ken Iwatsuki¹, Kunio Torii

¹Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, Japan.

Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Obesity

|December 14, 2011

Summary

Peripheral taste sensors, including taste receptors, are found in various tissues beyond the mouth, like the gut and brain. These sensors may play roles in detecting nutrients and influencing eating behaviors.

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Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test

Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test

Published on: August 17, 2018

Area of Science:

Physiology
Molecular Biology
Gastroenterology

Background:

Taste signaling molecules are present in the gustatory epithelium and other tissues like the gastrointestinal tract, airways, testes, and brain.
Taste signaling mechanisms in the GI tract can detect sweet, umami, and bitter compounds.
Tastant/nutrient detection by non-oral systems may influence behavioral responses to food intake.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the presence and potential functions of peripheral taste and nutrient sensors.
To explore the role of taste receptors in extraoral tissues.
To discuss the implications for understanding and controlling food intake.

Main Methods:

Literature review of recent studies on taste signaling molecules and receptors in various tissues.
Analysis of research on chemosensory pathways in the gastrointestinal tract.
Synthesis of findings related to nutrient sensing and postingestive effects.

Main Results:

Taste signaling components are found in taste-like cells distributed across multiple tissues.
At least two chemosensory pathways for detecting tastants/nutrients exist in the GI tract: a taste receptor pathway and an unknown nutrient-sensing pathway.
These pathways are involved in detecting compounds and eliciting postingestive effects.

Conclusions:

Taste-like cells and signaling components are widely distributed in the body.
The roles of these peripheral sensors in chemosensing are under active investigation.
Understanding these taste and nutrient sensing systems could lead to better control of food intake.