The gustatory pathway

The Special Senses

Taste, smell, sight, hearing, and balance

The Chemical Senses: Taste and Smell

Taste gustation
Smell olfaction
Receptors classified as chemoreceptors
Respond to chemicals

Primary sensations of taste:

There are specific chemicals that excite different taste receptors which are
present in taste cells.
-According to psychophysiologic & nurophysiologic studies:
13 chemical receptors in taste cells- 2 na+ receptors
2 k+ receptors
1 chloride receptors
1 adinosine receptor
1 inosine receptor
2 sweet receptors
2 bitter receptors
1 glutamate receptor
1 hydrogen ion receptor

Taste Gustation

Taste receptors

Occur in taste buds

Most are found on the surface of the tongue

Located within tongue papillae

Taste Buds

Collection of 50-100 epithelial cells

Contain three major cell types
Supporting cells
Gustatory cells
Basal cells

Contain long microvilli extend through a taste pore

Taste nerve fibers that are interwoven around the
bodies of taste cells which are stimulated by the taste
receptor cells.

Taste Buds

Taste Sensation and the Gustatory Pathway

Four basic qualities of taste
Sweet, sour, salty, and bitter
A fifth taste umami deliciousness
No structural difference among taste buds.
1)Sour taste: caused by acids- hydrogen ion concentration. The more acidic the
food , the stronger the food sensation
2)Salty taste: by ionized salts- sodium ion concentration.
Cations Na cations mainly responsible for the salty taste. Anions contribute to
lesser extent.
3)Sweet taste: not by single class of chemicals. Some are- sugars, glycols,
alcohols, aldihydes, ketones, amides, esters, some aminoacids, some proteins,
sulfonic acids.
some inorganic salts are lead &beryllium.

4)Bitter taste: not caused by single type of chemical

agents.
Entirely by organic substances-long chain organic
substances contain nitrogen & alkaloides.
Alkaloides include druges used in medicines such as
quinone, caffine, nicotine.
5)Umami taste: japaniece word means delicious.
Plesent taste that is different from those.
Contains L-glutamate such as meat extracts, ageing
cheese.

Mechanism of stimulation of taste buds:

Binding of a taste chemical to a protein receptor molecule

that lies on the outer surface of the taste receptor cell on

villus membrane.
This opens ion channels which allows positively charged
Na+ ions or hydrogen ions to enter &depolarize the
normal negativity of the cell.
Then the taste chemical gradually washed away from the
taste villi by the saliva.
The type of receptor protein in taste villi determines the
type of taste that will be perceived.

Gustatory Pathway

Taste information reaches the cerebral cortex

Primarily through the facial (VII) and

glossopharyngeal (IX) nerves
Some taste information through the vagus nerve
(X)
Sensory neurons synapse in the medulla

Located in the solitary nucleus

Gustatory Pathway from Taste Buds

Figure16.2

ABNORMALITIES

Ageusia: absence of sense of taste.

Hypogeusia: diminished taste sensitivity.
Dysgeusia: disturbed sense of taste.