Guyton and Hall, pp.

685

12/5/15

2. SALTY TASTE
By ionized salts- by
sodium ion
concentrations
Sodium- cation, mainly
responsible to salty
taste
Anions also contribute
to a lesser extent.

Chapter 54: The Chemical

Senses- Taste and Smell
I.

The Sense of TASTE

A function of taste buds in the
mouth
Sense of smell contributes to
taste perception
Texture of food and presence
of substances in the food
alters taste experience.

3. SWEET TASTE
Nots cause by any
single class of chemicals
Sugars, glycols,
alcohols, aldehydes,
ketones, amides, esters,
etc.
Most are Organic
chemicals
Slight change in
chemical structure=
bitter

A. Primary Sensations of Taste

Chemicals that excite taste
receptors are not all known.
13 probable chemical
receptors in taste cells:
2 sodium
2 potassium
1 chloride
1 adenosine
1 inosine
2 sweet
2 bitter
1 glutamate
1 hydrogen ion
5 general categories- PRIMARY
SENSATIONS OF TASTE
1. Sour
2. Salty
3. Sweet
4. Bitter
5. Umami
Tastes are all thought to be
combinations of elementary
taste sensations.
1. SOUR TASTE
Caused by acidshydrogen ion
concentration
Intensity of taste
sensation proportional
to the logarithm of the
hydrogen ion
concentration.
More acidic=more sour

4. BITTER TASTE
Not caused by any
single type of chemical
agent.
Most are organic
substances
2 classes of substances
likely to cause bitter
taste:
1. Long-chain organic
substances that contain
nitrogen
2. Alkaloids (include many
drugs)
Initially sweet with bitter
aftertaste- saccharin
Many deadly substances
are bitter.
5. UMAMI TASTE
Japanese word meaning
delicious
Dominant taste of food
containing L-glutamate

B. Threshold for taste

Sour

0.0009 M

Salty
Sweet
Bitter

1.1 M
0.01 M
0.000008 M

Taste Blindnessphenylthiocarbamide is a
substance frequently used; 1530% of all exhibit taste
blindness.

C. Taste bud and its function

Diameter: 1/30 mm
Length: 1/16 mm
Composed of 50 modified
epithelial cells
Sustentacular cells- supporting
cells
Taste cells- young cells;
continually being replaced by
mitotic division of surrounding
epithelial cells.

Mature cells- lie towards the

center of the bud
Life span of each taste cell-10
days in lower mammals;
unknown in humans.
The outer tip of taste cell are
arranged around a minute
taste pore
Microvilli or taste hairsfrom the tip of each taste cell,
this protrude outward into the
taste pore to approach the
cavity of mouth. It provide
receptor surface for taste.
Taste nerve fibersinterwoven around bodies of
taste cells, stimulated by taste
receptor cells.