Cole - Taste N' Smell

Question 1

What protein do tastants interact with to begin the taste signal transduction?

Answer 1

Gustducin

Question 2

What are the 5 taste sensations and what do they react to?

Answer 2

Sweet (to glucose)
salt (to NaCl)
sour (to H ions)
bitter (caffeine, morphine, nicotine, beer)
umami (glutamate.. So proteins, meats, cheeses)

Question 3

Which taste sensation is being activated with the MSG flavor enhancer?

Answer 3

Umami

Question 4

How many taste sensations does the facial n carry?

Answer 4

All of them, but each bud is tuned to 2 of the 5.. Though each bud can detect all 5 sensations

Question 5

Does everyone have the same number of fungiform buds/papillae?

Answer 5

No, some folks taste better than others!

Question 6

What is the description of olfactory epithelium?

Answer 6

Psuedostratified columnar epithelium with goblet cells and serous glands

Question 7

What is the purpose of the nasal concha?

Answer 7

To create turbulence in the nasal cavity, causing particles in incoming air to be thrown against the moist surface of the cavity

Question 8

What helps warms incoming air?

Answer 8

Swell bodies of the inferior and middle concha, vascular networks that feed warm blood into the nasal cavity

Question 9

What are the 3 types of olfactory cells?

Answer 9

Olfactory R cells (bipolar sensory neurons, dendrites on surface of epithelium, axons to the cribriform plate)
Supporting cells
Basal cells

Question 10

What’s the purpose of supporting olfactory cells (sustentacular cells)?

Answer 10

Provide electrical insulation to the non-myelinated axons of the bipolar olfactory bipolar neurons

Question 11

What type of cells make up the olfactory bulb?

Answer 11

Mitral cells (dendrites in particular, axons create olfactory tract)

Question 12

Define Kallman’s Syndrome.

Answer 12

Anosmia (no sense of smell) d/t lack of mitral cells, olfactory bulb is thus underdeveloped
- caused by KAL-1 gene defect leading to lack o anosmin-1 protein

Small genitalia and sterile glands d/t lack of GnRH (GnRH neurons of hypothalamus originate from olfactory epithelium)

Question 13

On the front lines of science, which taste R may be involved with “fat” tasting?

Answer 13

CD36, may increase preference too (lack decreases preference)

Question 14

What are the 3 cells types that make up a taste bud?

Answer 14

Taste R cell (sends affarents through VII, IX, and X)
Supporting cell (immature taste cells.. Probably)
Precursor (stem/basal cells)