The Human Body Project:
Gustatory System
By:
Shiver, Traci
Sinha, Somya
Tran, Ai-nhi
A. Structure
1. Mainly located in the mouth (on the tongue)
2. The surface of the tongue consists of papillaebumps on the tongue
▫ 4 types of papillae:
 Filiform-scattered on surface with a bumpy
appearance, but no taste function.
 Fungiform-shaped like mushrooms and
distributed mostly on the edges.
 Foliate-folds of tissue located in the back and
sides.
 Circumvallate-shaped in an inverted V in the
back.
▫
Located within the papillae are taste budsclusters of 50-100 taste [receptor] cells.
▫ There are about 2,000-5,000 taste buds
within the tongue.
4. Taste cells are chemoreceptors that detect
chemical substances.
 Like the basic 5:
▫ Sweet
▫ Sour
▫ Bitter
▫ Salty
▫ Umami
Function
1.
The gustatory system detects the
various flavors of different
substances, and then a taste cell
transfers the information to the
brain through an electrical
signal.
•
The molecule is identified into
5 main flavors. Other
flavors are just combinations
of the main.
3. A sensory transduction identifies the compound
present, each taste receptor has a different
transduction.
• Bitter, sweet, and umami are detected by Gprotein coupled receptors.
• Salty and sour are detected by ion channels.
Ageusia
1. Ageusia is a disease when the
tongue loses the ability to detect
certain tastes.
2. A leading cause for Ageusia is
tissue damage to the nerves that
support the tongue.
3. If the disease isn’t too severe, it
may be cured taking specific
medications.
10 Facts About the Gustatory System
#1-5
1. The gustatory system is the
sensory system for taste.
2. The gustatory system works in
combination with the olfactory
system.
3. There are four primary tastes
recognized in the gustatory
system, sweet, sour, salty, and
bitter; also know as the four
basic chemical substances.
4. There are different regions of
the tongue where certain
primary tastes are sensed.
5. The tip of the tongue is used to
taste sweetness, the bottom
sides of the tongue are used to
taste saltiness, the upper sides
of the tongue taste sourness,
and the back of the tongue
tastes bitterness.
10 Facts About the Gustatory System
#5-10
5. Acids and hydrogen ions activate
sour taste receptors
6. There are between 2,000 and
5,000 taste buds on a tongue
7. A taste bud consists of 50-100
taste cells.
8. Every taste cell can sense all
flavors but is usually more
accustomed to tasting one.
9. A taste bud is stimulated when
food molecules bind to taste
cells, then the taste cells send
electrical signals to the brain to
be processed.
10. The surface of the tongue
consists of papillae-bumps on
the tongue
Bibliography
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<http://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/abstract/S0166-2236(10)00054-8>.
THE END
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