Smell and Taste
Published: 30.11.2013
Subjects
License Terms
This content is available under the following conditions of use.
Published: 30.11.2013
When grown men turn into six-year-old boys, Mom's homemade baking must be involved: the smell alone transports us back to our childhood memories. But smell and Taste can do more than that – in some cases, they can even bypass the thalamus.
The sensory impression we refer to as "taste" results from the interaction between our senses of smell and taste. In terms of sensory physiology, however, "taste" is limited to the impression conveyed to us by the taste receptors on the tongue and in the surrounding mucous membranes. It is currently assumed that there are five different types of taste receptors that specialize in the taste qualities sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. In 2005, scientists also identified possible taste receptors for fat, whose role as a distinct taste quality is still being investigated.
Taste
The sensory impression we refer to as "taste" results from the interaction between our senses of smell and taste. In terms of sensory physiology, however, "taste" is limited to the impression conveyed to us by the taste receptors on the tongue and in the surrounding mucous membranes. It is currently assumed that there are five different types of taste receptors that specialize in the taste qualities sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. In 2005, scientists also identified possible taste receptors for fat, whose role as a distinct taste quality is still being investigated.
Subjects
License Terms
This content is available under the following conditions of use.
