SPECIAL SENSES
(GUSTATION)
By: Sangeeta Dutta
TASTE BUDS
Sense organs for taste or gustatory sensation are the taste buds. Taste
buds are ovoid bodies with a diameter of 50 µ to 70 µ.
SITUATION OF TASTE BUDS
Most of the taste buds are present on the papillae of tongue. Taste buds
are also situated in the mucosa of epiglottis, palate, pharynx and the
proximal part of esophagus.
Types of papillae located on tongue:
qFiliform Papillae: Filiform papillae are small and conical-shaped papillae, situated over
the dorsum of tongue. These papillae contain less number of taste buds (only a few).
qFungiform Papillae:Fungiform papillae are round in shape and are situated over the
anterior surface of tongue near the tip. Numerous fungiform papillae are present. Each
papilla contains moderate number of taste buds (up to 10).
qCircumvallate Papillae: Circumvallate papillae are large structures present on the
posterior part of tongue and are many in number. These papillae are arranged in the shape
of ‘V’. Each papilla contains many taste buds (up to 100).
Cont...
Foliate papillae: Foliate papillae are found in two areas at each side of
the tongue just behind the circumvallate papillae, and also contain
several taste buds.
PATHWAY FOR TASTE
RECEPTORS: Receptors for taste sensation are the type III cells of taste buds. Each taste
bud is innervated by about 50 sensory nerve fibers and each nerve fiber supplies at least five
taste buds through its terminals.
FIRST ORDER NEURON: First order neurons of taste pathway are in the nuclei of three
different cranial nerves.
1. Chorda tympani fibers of facial nerve, which run from anterior two third of tongue
2. Glossopharyngeal nerve fibers, which run from posterior one third of the tongue
3. Vagal fibers, which run from taste buds in other regions
Axons from first order neurons in the nuclei of these nerves run together in medulla
oblongata and terminate in the nucleus of tractus solitarius.
Cont...
• SECOND ORDER NEURON: Second order neurons are in the nucleus of tractus
solitarius. Axons of second order neurons run through medial lemniscus and terminate in
posteroventral nucleus of thalamus.
• THIRD ORDER NEURON: Third order neurons are in the posteroventral nucleus of
thalamus. Axons from third order neurons project into parietal lobe of the cerebral cortex.
• TASTE CENTER: Center for taste sensation is in opercular insular cortex, i.e. in the
lower part of postcentral gyrus, which receives cutaneous sensations from face. Thus, the
taste fibers do not have an independent cortical projection.
Fig:-Taste pathway
PRIMARY TASTE SENSATIONS
Primary or fundamental taste sensations are divided into five types:
1. Sweet
2. Salt
3. Sour
4. Bitter
5. Umami
TASTE SENSATIONS AND CHEMICAL
CONSTITUTIONS
SWEET TASTE: Sweet taste is produced mainly by organic substances
like monosaccharides, polysaccharides, glycerol, alcohol, aldehydes,
ketones and chloroform. Inorganic substances, which produce sweet
taste are lead and beryllium.
SALT TASTE: Salt taste is produced by chlorides of sodium, potassium
and ammonium, nitrates of sodium and potassium. Some sulfates,
bromides and iodides also produce salt taste.
Cont...
• SOUR TASTE: Sour taste is produced because of hydrogen ions in acids and acid salts.
• BITTER TASTE: Bitter taste is produced by organic substances like quinine, morphine,
glucosides, and bile salts and inorganic substances like salts of calcium, magnesium and
ammonium. Bitterness of the salts is mainly due to cations.
• UMAMI: It is a 5th taste sense has been added to the four classical taste modalities. This
taste is pleasant and sweet but differs from standard sweet taste. It is mediated by
glutamic acid particularly monosodium glutamate (MSG).
TASTE RECEPTORS
Generally, taste receptor is a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR). It is also called
G protein gustducin.
• SWEET RECEPTOR: Receptor for sweet taste is GPCR. The sweet substances
bind to receptor and cause depolarization via cyclic AMP.
• SALT RECEPTOR: Receptor for salt taste is called epithelial sodium channel
(ENaC). It acts like ENaC receptors in other parts of the body. When sodium
enters, this receptor releases glutamate, which causes depolarization.
Cont...
• SOUR RECEPTOR: Sour sensation also has the same ENaC receptor. The
proton (hydrogen) enters the receptor and causes depolarization.
• BITTER RECEPTOR: Bitter receptor is a GPCR. It causes production of
inositol triphosphate (IP3), which initiates depolarization by releasing calcium
ions.
• UMAMI RECEPTOR: Umami receptor is called metabotropic glutamate
receptor (mGluR4). Glutamate causes depolarization of this receptor.
ABNORMALITIES OF TASTE SENSATION
ØAGEUSIA: Loss of taste sensation is called ageusia.
ØHYPOGEUSIA: Hypoguesia is the decrease in taste sensation. It is due to increase in
threshold for different taste sensations.
ØTASTE BLINDNESS: Taste blindness is a rare genetic disorder in which the ability to
recognize substances by taste is lost.
ØDYSGEUSIA: Disturbance in the taste sensation is called dysgeu_x0002_sia. It is found
in temporal lobe syndrome, particularly when the anterior region of temporal lobe is
affected.
