TASTE SENSATION

TASTE
DEFINITION: Taste or more formally Gustation is a form of direct chemoreception and is one of the traditional 5 senses. It refers to the ability to detect the flavour of substances such as food,certain minerals and poisons.

In west 4 traditionally identified taste sensations are; Sweet Sour Salty Bitter

In eastern countries,another taste sensation known as UMAMI has been identified as basic taste as well.

TASTE RECEPTOR ORGANS

The taste buds,the sense organs for taste are ovoid bodies measuring 5070micrometer.

CELLS OF TASTE BUD

Each taste bud is made up of 4 types of cells Type 1 &Type 2 cells: They are also called as Sustentacular cells These are basically supporting cells Type 3 cells: These are Gustatory receptor cells Type 4 cells: These are basal cells

Gustatory receptor cells make synaptic connections to sensory nerve fibers Type 3 cells have microvilli which project into the taste pore Taste pore is an opening in lingual epithelium. The neck of all these cells are connected to each other and to surrounding epithelial cells by tight junctions

So only part of Gustatory receptor cells exposed to fluids in the oral cavity is its apical crown of microvilli.

INNERVATION OF TASTE BUDS

Each taste bud is innervated by about 50 nerve fibers and conversely each nerve fiber receives input from an average of 5 taste buds If sensory nerve is cut, the taste bud it innervates will degenerate and eventually disappear However if nerve regenerates, the cells in the neighborhood become organized into new taste buds.

Most of taste buds are located in papillae of tongue In humans the taste buds are also located in the mucosa of the epiglottis,palate.pharynx,tonsillar pillars and even in proximal esophagus Adults have 3000 to 10000 taste buds Beyond the age of 45 years,many taste buds degenerate causing the taste sensation to become progressively less.

LOCATION OF TASTE BUDS

PAPILLAE OF TONGUE
There are 4 types of papillae (1)Fungiform papillae (2)Circumvallate papillae (3)Foliate papillae (4)Filliform papillae

FUNGIFORM PAPILLAE
Mushroom shaped hence called as fungiform papillae More abundant in the region close to tip of tongue on anterior part of tongue.

CIRCUMVALLATE PAPILLAE
Or simply vallate papillae Are situated on back of tongue in V shaped pattern Contain most number of taste buds

FOLIATE PAPILLAE

Moderate number of taste buds are on foliate papillae located in the folds along the lateral surfaces of tongue.

FILLIFORM PAPILLAE

Usually do not contain taste buds

TASTE PATHWAY
RECEPTORS: Type 3 cells or Gustatory receptor cells

FIRST ORDER NEURONS

First order neurons of taste pathway are in nuclei of 3 different cranial nerves The sensory nerve fibers from anterior 2/3rd of tongue travel in Chorda tympani branch of facial nerve(Cranial nerve VII) The sensory nerve fibers from posterior 1/3rd of tongue reach the brainstem via the Glossopharyngeal nerve(Cranial nerve IX) The fibers from areas other than tongue reach the brainstem via vagus nerve(cranial nerve X)

2ND ORDER NEURON Taste fibers in these 3 nerves unite in the Nucleus of Tractus solitarius in medulla oblongata. 2nd order neurons are in nucleus of tractus solitarius. The axons of 2nd order neurons cross the midline and join medial leminiscus and from there terminate in ventral posterior medial (VPM) nucleus of thalamus.

3RD ORDER NEURONS

Third order neurons are in ventral posterior medial (VPM) nucleus of thalamus. From the thalamus,third order neurons are transmitted to lower tip(foot)of postcentral gyrus in parietal cerebral cortex where it curls into Sylvian fissure and into adjacent Opercular insular area.

Remember: Taste does not have a separate cortical projection area but is represented in the portion of post-central gyrus that subserves cutaneous sensation from the face.

BASIC TASTE MODALITIES

Uptill now 5 basic taste modalities have been identified Sweet Sour Bitter Salty Umami

 REMEMBER:

A person can perceive hundreds of different tastes They are all supposed to be combination of elementary taste sensations just as all the colors we can see are combination of 3 primary colors

13 POSSIBLE CHEMICAL RECEPTORS

Latest psychophysiologic and neurophysiologic studies have identified at least 13 probable chemical receptors in the taste cells which are 2 Sodium Receptors 2 potassium Receptors 2 sweet receptors 2 bitter receptors 1 chloride receptor 1 adenosine receptor 1 inosine receptor 1 glutamate receptor 1 hydrogen receptor

TASTE MODALITIES

SOUR TASTE

Sour taste is caused by Acids. That is because of H+ion concentration rather than associated anion. For any given acid, sourness is generally proportionate to logarithm of H+ion concentration. That is the more acidic the food, the stronger the sour sensation becomes.

SALTY TASTE
This taste is elicited by ionized salts mainly by Na+ion conc. Some other cations also produce salty taste like K+,NH4+ ions. Cations mainly contribute to salty taste but the anions also contribute to lesser extent

SWEET TASTE

Mainly produced by organic substances such as 1)sugars(monosaccharides,polysaccharides)e.g .,sucrose,maltose,lactose,glucose etc. 2)Glycerols 3)Alcohols 4)Aldehydes 5)Ketones Some of inorganic substances that taste sweet are (1)Lead (2)Beryllium salts

BITTER TASTE
The substances that give bitter taste are almost entirely organic substances. Two particular classes of substances are likely to cause bitter taste sensation. (1)Long chain organic substances that contain Nitrogen (2)Alkaloids The alkaloids include many of the drugs used in medicines such as Quinine,Caffeine,Strychnine,Nicotine,Morphine etc.

UMAMI TASTE
Some physiologists consider it to be a separate 5th category of primary taste sensations. Umami is a Japanese word meaning Deliciousdesignating a pleasant taste sensation that is qualitatively different from sour,salty,sweet or bitter Umami is dominant taste of asian food containing L-glutamate especially Monosodium glutamate such as meat extracts,aging cheese

TASTE BLINDNESS
Some people are taste blind for certain substances especially for different types of Thiourea compounds. A substance used frequently by psychologists for demonstrating taste blindness is Phenylthiocarbamide(PTC) for which about 15 to 30 percent of all people exhibit taste blindness.

SOME OF THE PAST UNIVERSITY QUESTIONS (UQS):

(Q : 1) Draw and describe taste bud and trace taste pathway. (Q: 2) a) What are different taste modalities? b) Write a short note on UMAMI sensation? (Q:3) Trace taste pathway from taste bud to cerebral cortex?

(Q:4) Write a short note on Taste buds?

MECHANISM OF STIMULATION OF TASTE BUDS:

The gustatory receptors are chemoreceptors which are stimulated by substances dissolved in oral fluids bathing them. These substances act on exposed microvilli in taste pore to evoke receptor potential in receptor cells which ultimately generate action potential in sensory neuron.

RECEPTOR POTENTIAL

The membrane of taste cell like that of most other sensory receptor cells is negatively charged on inside with respect to the outside. Application of taste substance to taste hairs causes partial loss of this negative potential i.e., the taste cells become depolarized

The decrease in negative potential within a wide range is approximately proportional to logarithm of concentration of stimulating substance The change in electrical potential in taste cell is called receptor potential for taste.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF RECEPTOR POTENTIAL:

The mechanism by which most stimulating substances react with taste villi to initiate receptor potential is by binding of taste chemical to a protein receptor molecule that lies on outer surface of taste receptor cell near or protruding through microvillus The type of receptor protein in each taste microvillus determines the type of taste that will be perceived.

Taste stimuli
Activation of taste receptors exposed in taste pore Development of receptor potential in receptor cells

Ultimately generation of action potential in sensory neurons

TASTE RECEPTORS
SWEET RECEPTORS: it is a G-protein coupled receptor(GPCR) The sweet substances bind to sweet receptors and cause depolarization via cyclic AMP(2nd messenger)

UMAMI RECEPTORS: Receptors for Umami sensations are Metabotropic Glutamate receptor(mGluR4)

BITTER RECEPTORS: It is also a GPCR. Cause depolarization through production of Inositol triphosphate (IP3) i.e., another 2nd messenger system that acts via protein kinase C.

SOUR RECEPTORS: Mainly triggered by H+ ion Receptors are ENaC and HCN (hyperpolarization cyclic nucleotide gated channel)

SALT RECEPTORS: Triggered mainly by NaCl Receptors for salts are epithelial sodium channels(ENaC).

Clinical physiology
AGEUSIA: Loss of taste function of tongue CAUSES: 1)neurological damage 2)vitamin B3 and zinc deficiency 3)some endocrine disorders 4)Drug side effects e.g.pencillamine,clarithromycin etc.

HYPOGEUSIA: Reduced ability to taste things is called Hypogeusia. It is due to increase in the threshold for different taste sensations

DYSGEUSIA: The distortion or disturbance in taste sensation is called Dysgeusia. Major Cause is stemmed from chemotherapy.

Taste blindness: Genetic disorder Inherited as recessive trait In this, ability to recognize particular substance by taste is lost.