Taste Flashcards
What are the 4 basic taste qualities?
Salty, sour, sweet, bitter
What is a salty taste produced by?
Organic salts
What is a sour taste produced by?
Acidic substances
What is a sweet taste produced by?
Carbohydrates/amino acids
What is a bitter taste produced by?
Alkaloids (often poisonous)
How many tastebuds does the average human have?
10,000
Where are tastebuds found?
On papillae on the tongue
Each papillae has anything from __ to ___ tastebuds.
1, several hundred.
How does the brain differentiate between tastes?
Cross fibre theory
What is cross fibre theory?
Neurones are tuned to particular substances. This information can be encoded through the pattern of neural activity.
Taste sensitivity is greatest between __ and __ degrees Celsius.
22, 32.
How does caffeine affect tasters and non-tasters?
Bitter to tasters, not to non-tasters.
How does KCl affect tasters?
It is bitter.
How does Benzoate affect tasters?
It is noticeable.
Super tasters are more sensitive to:
Spicy and bitter foods.
