Smell and Taste Flashcards
What is the name of the smell system
olfactory
what is the name of the taste system
gustatory
What is the stimuli for smell called
odorants
What cells sense smell?
olfactory receptor cells
Where are the sensors for smell located
on the cilia of olfactory cells
What is the major taste organ
tongue/papillae (bumps on tongue)
What is found in the papillae that allow us to taste
taste buds
What are the five major kinds of taste receptors?
sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami
What is umami
savory taste that is triggered by glutamate
What is the umami flavour enhancer called
MSG
What is the three sensory systems involved with eating
olfactory, gustatory, somatosensory
how do we register spice?
capsaicin activates pain receptors on the tongue
Where is the first region olfactory information is sent
olfactory bulb
Pathway of smell
olfactory sensory cells, olfactory bulb, amygdala, hippocampus,
Pathway of taste
taste receptor cells, thalamus, cerebral cortex
What is unique about the smell pathway
Not relayed by thalamus
what is unique about smell pathway
no axons
What part of the cortex receives taste information
insula
Inability to taste
ageusia
reduced ability to detect odours
hyposmia
inability to detect odours
anosmia
Supertasters
people who are repulsed by bitter chemicals
Reflex epilepsy
people who experience a seizure after exposure to a specific odour
