PSYC 210 Chapter 6.5, 6.6

flavors

the sense of taste combined with the sense of smell

tastes

any of the five basic sensations detected by the tongue — sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami

taste bud

a cluster of 50-150 cells that detects tastes; taste buds are found in papillae

papillae

small bumps that project from the surface of the tongue; contain most of the taste receptor cells

T1R

a family of taste receptor proteins that, when particular members bind together, form taste receptors for sweet flavors and umami flavors

T2R

a family of bitter taste receptors

umami

one of the five basic tastes — the meaty, savory flavor

gustatory system

the sensory system that detects taste

olfaction

the sensory system that detects smell; the act of smelling

anosmia

the inability to sense odor

olfactory epithelium

a sheet of olfactory receptors and other cells that lines the dorsal portion of the nasal cavities and adjacent regions

olfactory receptor neurons

a type of neuron, found in the olfactory epithelium, that sense airborne odorants via specialized receptor proteins

olfactory bulb

an anterior projection of the brain that terminates in the upper nasal passages and, through small openings in the skull, provides receptors for the sense of smell

glomerulus

a complex arbor of dendrites from a group of olfactory cells

pheromones

a chemical signal that is released outside the body of an animal and affects other members of the same species

vomeronasal organ (VNO)

a collection of specialized receptor cells, near to but separate from the olfactory epithelium, that detect pheromones and send electrical signals to the accessory olfactory bulb in the brain

TAARs (trace amine-associated receptors)

any one of a family of probable pheromone receptors produced by neurons in the main olfactory epithelium