Tag: tongue : the organ of taste

A- Papillae contain taste buds. Taste receptors are situated around the papillae. Tastebuds are a combination of basal, structural and taste receptor cells. 

Gustatory receptors are specialized epithelial cells located within the taste buds that transduce chemical signals into neural impulses.

The gustatory system is a sensory system responsible for the perception of taste.

The human tongue is covered with a moist, pink tissue called as the mucosa or the mucous membrane. On this membrane are present tiny bumps, called as papillae.

On the tongue, papillae are situated anteriorly to the sulcus terminalis. There are three types of papillae on the tongue: filiform papillae, circumvallate papillae and fungiform papillae. The filiform papillae are the smallest and most abundant. They help in holding the food. Circumvallate papillae are large papillae arranged in a "V" shape. Fungiform papillae are mushroom shaped. Taste buds are found on circumvallate and fungiform. 

Umami is the fifth taste which detects the flavour of savoury. This taste receptor was found mostly in the Japanese. Many food preparations in Japan has a savoury flavour. These people are known to make a combination of food which has savoury flavour. So, it is considered that the taste buds for umami flavour are mainly found in the people of Japan. This taste is detected with the help of glutamate specific taste receptors because there is more amount of glutamate in the savoury food.

Taste is perceived when chemicals are dissolved in saliva. Sugar crystals on the tongue dissolve quickly in saliva, allowing for rapid perception of sweetness.

• Terminal sulcus of the tongue is a V-shaped groove, with a posteriorly oriented apex, on the surface of the tongue, marking the separation between the anterior (oral or horizontal) and the posterior (pharyngeal or vertical) parts of the tongue. Hence, Terminal sulcus separates the two parts of the tongue.

The chemicals or the substances which can stimulate the taste receptor cells are known as tastants. The upper surface contains papillae. There are several taste receptors on the papillae. When the tastants gets dissolved in the saliva, the taste can be detected by the taste receptors.

The taste buds are comprised of two main type of cells, receptor cell and the supporting cell. The receptor cells are neurosensory. They have one free end and the other nerve ending travelling to the taste area of the brain. The supporting cells are the columnar cells. These cells are present between the receptor cells. These cells are about 40 in number.