Gustation o Salty

o Umami
- The sense of taste or act of tasting
- Types of receptors:
Surface Anatomy of the Tongue o GCPR – for sweet, bitter, and umami
 Couples with G-protein transducin,
- Superior to the mandible, trachea, larynx, and
opening of phospholipase C, IP3, calcium
epiglottis
ion and TRPM5 channels, lowering cAMP
Taste Buds and increasing IP3 level, producing
depolarization and release of
- Specialized organ for taste neurotransmitters
- Chemoreceptors composed of 50-100 gustatory  Second messenger pathway
receptor cells - Taste Receptors for each taste:
- Modified epithelial cells o Salty – epithelial sodium channel (ENaC)
- Consists of 4 cell types:
 Entry of sodium or ionized salts into these
o Basal
channels depolarizes the membrane,
o Dark creating a receptor potential
o Intermediate o Sour – TRPP3
o Light – most mature  Triggered by H+ ion (proton) concentration
- Located in:  TRPP3 blocks the efflux of potassium ions,
o Epiglottis leading to the receptor cell reaching the
o Palate threshold potential and then
o Pharynx depolarization
o Tongue, specifically in the walls of the papillae o Sweet – T1R2 and T1R3
- Papillae of the tongue:  These receptors are activated via cyclic
o Fungiform – tip or anterior 2/3 of the tongue nucleotide and inositol phosphate
o Circumvallate – arrange in a V at the back of metabolism
the tongue (sulcus terminalis)  Sweet taste may also be caused by:
o Foliate – posterior edge of the tongue  Sugars
- The sensitivity of different regions of the tongue  Glycols
for different taste qualities varies slightly due to  Alcohols
the wide distribution of taste buds responding to  Aldehydes
each type of taste  Ketones
Taste Receptors  Esters
 Amino acids
- 13 possible chemical receptors in the taste cells:  Sulfuric acid
o 2 sodium receptors  Halogenated acids
o 2 potassium receptors  Inorganic salts of lead
o 1 chloride receptor o Bitter – T2R
o 1 adenosine receptor  Bitter tase is caused by very long chain
o 1 inosine receptor organic substances and alkaloids such as
o 2 sweet receptors quinine, strychnine, and nicotine
o 2 bitter receptors o Umami – mGluR4 receptor (metabotropic
o 1 glutamate receptor glutamate receptor) and T1R1 and T1R3
o 1 hydrogen ion receptor  Glutamate activates these receptors,
- Five basic tastes: causing depolarization and receptor
o Sweet potential
o Sour  Umami is the dominant taste in food
o Bitter containing L-glutamate

3.
Generation of Nerve Impulses by the Taste Bud
- On the first application of the taste stimulus, the
rate of discharge of the nerve fibers from the
taste buds rises to a peak in a small fraction of a
second, but then adapts within the next few
seconds to a lower steady level as long as the
taste stimulus remains
- Strong immediate signal followed by a weaker,
continuous signal transmitted from the taste
buds
The Taste Pathway
- Caused by damage to lingual or
glossopharyngeal nerve
Dysgeusia or Parageusia – unpleasant
perception of taste
- Causes a metallic, salty, foul, or rancid taste
- Occurs in conditions that alter the serotonin
and norepinephrine levels (anxiety or
depression)
- Administration of serotonin reuptake inhibitor
– decreased sensitivity to sucrose(sweet) and
quinine(bitter)
- Administration of norepinephrine reuptake
inhibitor – decreased sensitivity to bitter and
sour tastes

- From taste buds to the sensory nerve fibers

o Chorda tympani branch of Facial Nerve –
Anterior 2/3 of tongue
o Glossopharyngeal Nerve – Posterior 1/3 of
tongue
o Vagus Nerve – other areas with taste buds
- From sensory nerve fibers to the Nucleus of
Tractus Solitarius (NTS) via first order neurons
o Chorda tympani – Geniculate Ganglion
o Glossopharyngeal – Petrosal Ganglion
o Vagus – Nodose Ganglion
- From NTS, axons from the 2nd order neurons
ascend in the ipsilateral medial lemniscus and
project directly to the Ventral Posteromedial
Nucleus of the Thalamus via the central
tegmental tract
o Also from NTS, at the level of the pons, the
parabrachial nucleus of the pons receive taste
input from the NTS and projects it to the
hypothalamus and amygdala
- From thalamus, axons project to the anterior
insula and frontal operculum in the ipsilateral
cerebral cortex (the gustatory cortex) for taste
and taste discrimination

Abnormalities in Taste Detection:

1. Ageusia – Absence of taste

- Caused by damage to lingual or
glossopharyngeal nerve, vitamin B3 and zinc
deficiency, or as an adverse side effect of
various drugs (captopril)
2. Hypogeusia – decreased taste