The Other Senses: taste, Smell, and touch

Question 1

What is the gustatory system?

Answer 1

the gustatory system—the sensory system for taste

Question 2

Where are gustatory receptors? And how do they work?

Answer 2

The gustatory receptors are clusters of taste cells found in the taste
buds that line the trenches around tiny bumps on the tongue. When these cells absorb chemicals dissolved in saliva, neural impulses are triggered that are routed through the thalamus to the cortex.

Question 3

What are the four primary tastes?

Answer 3

four primary tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty

Question 4

What is umami?

Answer 4

scientists are increasingly recognizing a fifth primary taste called umami, which is a Japanese word for the savory taste of glutamate found in foods such as meats and cheeses

Question 5

Where do taste signals go?

Answer 5

Taste signals are routed through the thalamus and sent on to the insular cortex in the frontal lobe, where the initial cortical processing takes place.

Question 6

What is sensory adaptation?

Answer 6

sensory adaptation—a gradual
decline in sensitivity to prolonged stimulation.

Question 7

What is flavour?

Answer 7

Flavor is a combination of taste, smell, and the tactile sensation of food in
one’s mouth.

Question 8

Does smell have an effect on taste?

Answer 8

The ability to identify flavors declines
noticeably when odor cues are absent.