Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Taste Buds and Receptors01:20

Taste Buds and Receptors

1.9K
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,...
1.9K
The Physiology of Taste01:24

The Physiology of Taste

3.8K
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...
3.8K
Gustation01:43

Gustation

47.6K
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.
47.6K
The Tongue and Taste Buds00:49

The Tongue and Taste Buds

36.5K
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.
36.5K
Nervous Tissue: Neuron Types01:19

Nervous Tissue: Neuron Types

2.6K
Neurons, the fundamental units of the nervous system, can be classified based on both their structural and functional characteristics.
Structurally, neurons are categorized into three main types: multipolar, bipolar, and unipolar (or pseudounipolar). Multipolar neurons, which are the most common type in the brain and spinal cord, as well as all motor neurons, possess multiple dendrites and a single axon.
Bipolar neurons, on the other hand, have one primary dendrite and one axon. They are...
2.6K
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

4.5K
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...
4.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Environmental Benzene Exposure Induces a Conserved Neutrophil Degranulation Program Across Species.

Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology·2026
Same author

A rare convergence: Pleural amyloidosis in H syndrome - A diagnostic surprise in a young Indian male.

Lung India : official organ of Indian Chest Society·2026
Same author

<i>FMR1</i> gene therapy restores activity-driven inhibition and prevents audiogenic seizures in <i>Fmr1</i> <sup>-/<i>y</i></sup> mice.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

MRI Versus Arthroscopy in the Detection of Glenoid Labral Tears of the Shoulder: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Cureus·2026
Same author

Case Report | Development of spontaneous subcutaneous emphysema in a case of squamous cell carcinoma of right lung during radiotherapy treatment a rare instance.

The Gulf journal of oncology·2026
Same author

Clinicogenomic Features and Outcomes of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma With Central Nervous System Metastases: A Single-Institution Cohort Study.

Head & neck·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2025

Whole-Mount Staining, Visualization, and Analysis of Fungiform, Circumvallate, and Palate Taste Buds
07:40

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

Published on: February 11, 2021

3.4K

Deciphering Peripheral Taste Neuron Diversity: Using Genetic Identity to Bridge Taste Bud Innervation Patterns and

Lisa C Ohman1, Tao Huang1, Victori A Unwin1

  • 1Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40202.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|October 8, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Proenkephalin-expressing (Penk+) taste neurons respond to aversive stimuli like sour and bitter. This suggests genetic expression, not single stimulus response, defines peripheral taste neuron types.

Keywords:
afferentgeniculate gangliongeniculate neuronmorphologytastetongue

More Related Videos

In vivo Calcium Imaging of Mouse Geniculate Ganglion Neuron Responses to Taste Stimuli
07:27

In vivo Calcium Imaging of Mouse Geniculate Ganglion Neuron Responses to Taste Stimuli

Published on: February 11, 2021

4.9K
Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test
07:10

Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test

Published on: August 17, 2018

16.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 11, 2025

Whole-Mount Staining, Visualization, and Analysis of Fungiform, Circumvallate, and Palate Taste Buds
07:40

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

Published on: February 11, 2021

3.4K
In vivo Calcium Imaging of Mouse Geniculate Ganglion Neuron Responses to Taste Stimuli
07:27

In vivo Calcium Imaging of Mouse Geniculate Ganglion Neuron Responses to Taste Stimuli

Published on: February 11, 2021

4.9K
Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test
07:10

Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test

Published on: August 17, 2018

16.4K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Biology
  • Taste Perception

Background:

  • Peripheral taste neurons show diverse characteristics, but their combination into functional types is unclear.
  • Understanding the relationship between genetic expression and taste neuron function is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional and morphological diversity of proenkephalin-expressing (Penk+) taste neurons in mice.
  • To determine if genetic expression defines taste neuron types based on stimulus response or hedonic properties.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of taste bud innervation patterns and arbor morphologies of Penk+ neurons in male and female mice.
  • Functional assessment of Penk+ neuron responses to various taste stimuli.

Main Results:

  • Penk+ neuron taste arbors exhibit diverse morphologies, not strictly regulated by neuron type.
  • Penk+ neurons are preferentially apposed to various taste-transducing cells.
  • Penk+ neurons primarily respond to aversive stimuli (sour, bitter, high salt) and less to non-aversive ones.

Conclusions:

  • Data support a genetically defined taste neuron type responsive to aversive stimuli.
  • Genetic expression may categorize peripheral taste neurons into hedonic groups rather than single-stimulus responders.