Gustation and Olfaction

fuckthis

Why are gustation and olfaction important to human survival?

prevent the ingestion of harmful substances

What are the five main flavors encompassed by the papillae on the tongue?

Sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami

What is the name of the receptors found on the tongue?

Papillae

What are the 4 types of papillae?

Filiform, Fungiform, Foliate and Circumvilliate

What is the name of the sub-surface structures in papillae that contain taste receptors?

Tastebuds

Why is the filiform taste papilla different from the others?

Contains no taste buds but detects texture

How many taste buds are on the human tongue?

10,000

True or false, every taste receptor has a center of each of the 5 flavors

True

What is the main transmitter nerve for the tip of the tongue?

Facial nerve

What is the main transmitter nerve for the back of the tongue?

Glossopharyngeal nerve

After transmission, where does taste information go for processing?

Thalamus then the insular cortex

What are the 2 components that make up olfactory perception?

Mucosa and bulb

What is the role of the olfactory mucosa?

Contains receptor cells called cilia, below the base of the brain

What is the role of the bulb?

Contains the neurons needed for processing and reception of mucosa signals

How many different types of olfactory receptive neurons do humans have?

350

How can you increase olfactory sensitivity?

Increase the number of ORNs

Why are humans so shit at identifying different odorants?

Poor retrieval from LTM

Why is the link between perceptual process of olfaction and physical stimulus hard to find?

The relationship between the structural formula of odorant and what neural function it causes is unclear

True or false, the taste of most compounds is influenced by smell

True

Name a compound who’s taste is not influenced by smell

MSG

What is the neurological transmission of olfactory information in the brain?

Mucosa, Bulb, Piniform cortex, Orbifrontal cortex

Why can smell and taste be influenced by emotion?

structural links between insular and orbifrontal cortex, and the amygdala