Taste and Smell Flashcards

Flashcards about Taste and Smell based on lecture notes.

Why are sensory systems important?

Sensory systems detect aspects of our environment to help us adapt and survive.

What are the two chemical senses?

Gustation (taste) and Olfaction (smell).

Where are taste and smell chemoreceptors located?

Taste chemoreceptors are located on the tongue, while smell chemoreceptors are located in the nasal cavity.

What are the functions of the nervous system?

Collect information (input), integrate this information (integration/processing), and distribute this information (output).

What are the sensory organs for taste?

Taste buds.

What are the three types of papillae on the tongue that contain taste buds?

Fungiform, Vallate, and Foliate.

What structures project from gustatory epithelial cells and extend into a taste pore?

Gustatory hairs (microvilli).

What happens when a chemical activates a taste receptor cell?

Changes the membrane potential, potentially leading to a receptor potential and an action potential.

How is low concentration saltiness detected?

Na+ selective channels in epithelial cells.

What causes sourness?

H+ ions that dissociate from acids.

What family of receptors elicits bitterness?

T2Rs.

What receptor protein detects sweetness?

A dimer of T1R GPCR proteins.

What detects umami (savory) taste?

A similar T1R dimer to the sweetness receptor.

What are the three cranial nerves that carry taste information?

Facial nerve (VII), Glossopharyngeal (IX), and Vagus nerve (X).

After the cranial nerves, where does taste information travel?

Gustatory nucleus in the medulla.

What is the sensation of volatile chemicals in inspired air called?

Olfaction.

What cells are contained in the olfactory epithelium?

Olfactory receptor cells, supporting cells, and basal cells.

What type of neurons are olfactory receptor cells?

Bipolar neurons with cilia that respond to odorants.

What type of proteins are olfactory receptor proteins?

GPCRs.

What second messenger is used by olfactory receptors?

cAMP.

By what nerve is sensory information transmitted in the olfactory pathway?

Olfactory nerve (CN I).

Where can information be transmitted from the olfactory tubercle?

Olfactory orbitofrontal cortices, medial dorsal nucleus of thalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus.

How are neurons arranged in the olfactory bulb?

Neurons that respond to the same chemical are arranged spatially in groups.

Why are sensory systems important?

Sensory systems detect aspects of our environment to help us adapt and survive.

What happens when a chemical activates a taste receptor cell?

Changes the membrane potential, potentially leading to a receptor potential and an action potential.

How is low concentration saltiness detected?

Na+ selective channels in epithelial cells.

What causes sourness?

H+ ions that dissociate from acids.

What family of receptors elicits bitterness?

T2Rs.

What receptor protein detects sweetness?

A dimer of T1R GPCR proteins.

What detects umami (savory) taste?

A similar T1R dimer to the sweetness receptor.

What are the three cranial nerves that carry taste information?

Facial nerve (VII), Glossopharyngeal (IX), and Vagus nerve (X).

After the cranial nerves, where does taste information travel?

Gustatory nucleus in the medulla.

What is the sensation of volatile chemicals in inspired air called?

Olfaction.

Olfactory receptor cells, supporting cells, and basal cells.

What cells are contained in the olfactory epithelium?

Olfactory receptor cells, supporting cells, and basal cells.

What type of neurons are olfactory receptor cells?

Bipolar neurons with cilia that respond to odorants.

What type of proteins are olfactory receptor proteins?

GPCRs.

What second messenger is used by olfactory receptors?

cAMP.

By what nerve is sensory information transmitted in the olfactory pathway?

Olfactory nerve (CN I).

Where can information be transmitted from the olfactory tubercle?

Olfactory orbitofrontal cortices, medial dorsal nucleus of thalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus.

How are neurons arranged in the olfactory bulb?

Neurons that respond to the same chemical are arranged spatially in groups.

What is sensory transduction?

The process by which sensory receptor cells convert stimuli into electrical signals.

What is adaptation in the context of sensory systems?

A reduction in sensitivity to a stimulus after constant exposure to it.

Name the major types of sensory receptors.

Mechanoreceptors, Thermoreceptors, Nociceptors, Electromagnetic receptors, Chemoreceptors.

What are mechanoreceptors?

Receptors that respond to mechanical pressure or distortion.

What are thermoreceptors?

Receptors that respond to changes in temperature.

What are nociceptors?

Sensory receptors that detect potentially damaging stimuli.

What are electromagnetic receptors?

Receptors that respond to electrical and magnetic fields.

What kind of cells do sensory transduction?

Epithelial cells, photoreceptors, and neurons