Week 5: Gustation - Completed

Flashcards covering key concepts related to gustation and taste perception based on the provided lecture notes.

Gustation

The sense of taste, which allows perception of flavors and evaluation of food substances for nutrition or danger.

Lingual Papillae

Bumps on the tongue that contain taste buds; there are four types: circumvallate, fungiform, foliate, and filiform.

Circumvallate Papillae

Large papillae located at the back of the tongue that are most sensitive to bitter tastes, containing 100 to 300 taste buds.

Fungiform Papillae

Papillae located throughout the tongue, especially on the tip, sensitive to sweet and umami tastes.

Foliate Papillae

Papillae located on the lateral sides of the tongue, with taste buds sensitive to salty and sour tastes.

Filiform Papillae

Conical, thread-like papillae that do not contain taste buds but help with the texture and grip of food.

Taste Bud

Special sensory structures containing gustatory receptor cells responsible for the perception of taste.

Umami

A savory taste attributed to the presence of amino acids, particularly glutamate.

Taste Pore

An opening on the surface of the tongue where microvilli of gustatory receptor cells are exposed.

Chemoreceptors

Cells that sense chemicals, such as those involved in the gustatory sensation, needing substances to be dissolved in water or saliva.

Tastants

Chemicals that trigger taste sensations, which can be grouped into five basic tastes: sour, bitter, salty, sweet, and umami.

Salty Sensation

A taste sensation triggered by metal ions, primarily sodium (Na+); detected through specific ion channels.

Sour Sensation

A taste sensation indicating acidity, typically due to the presence of hydrogen ions (H+).

Sweet Sensation

Triggered by the presence of sugars such as glucose and fructose, as well as artificial sweeteners.

Bitter Sensation

A taste sensation often associated with alkaline substances and commonly perceived as unpleasant.

Neural Pathway of Taste

The route by which gustatory information is transmitted from taste buds to the brain, involving facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagus nerves.

Gustatory Cortex

The area of the brain responsible for processing taste information, located at the insula within the postcentral gyrus.