AP Psych Unit 1 (1.3) Part Four: Taste and Smell

Taste (Gustation)

The tastes that we perceive are a two-phase chemical reaction that involves both our mouth and throat (taste) as well as our nose (smell).

Papillae

The tiny raised protrusions on the tongue that contain taste buds.

Four Basic Groupings of Flavor

Sweet, Salty, Sour, & Bitter.

Umami

Japanese word similar to savory or delicious. It is actually related to the taste of glutamate and is similar to the taste of broth. This flavor is said to be elicit an emotional response.

Smell (Olfaction)

Chemical molecules are breathed in through the nose and impulses are sent along the olfactory nerve to the olfactory bulb, structure in the limbic system.

Somesthetic Senses

The senses of the skin, allow us to feel light touch, pressure, pain, cold, and warmth.

Pain

The body’s warning sign that something isn’t right, picked up upon by nociceptors which are cells in the skin.

Gate-Control Theory of Pain

There is a “gate” in the spinal cord that switches pain on and off, the motor neurons fire in response to pain, the more intense the pain.

Phantom Limb Sensations

Common after amputations, where individuals perceive the presence of a missing limb, often with feelings like tingling, itching, or a feeling of the limb moving.

Kinesthesis

The system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts.

Vestibular Sense

Located in the cerebellum and monitors your body and head’s position and movement.

“Visual Telephone”

Communication activity that focuses on interpretation and translation of information.