GUSTATION

SUBMITTED BY SUBMITTED TO
TANUJ BANSAL DR. VIKAS NANDA
PG/FET/1850257
PR O FE SS O R, D EPA RTM E NT O F FO O D
DE PART ME NT O F F O O D E NG I NE E RI NG AND E N G I N E E R I N G A N D T E C H N O L O G Y, S L I E T
TECHNOLOGY
TASTE (GUSTATION)
• It refers to the capacity to detect the sensation produced in the mouth by different food
substances.
• Taste senses are divided into five characteristics:-
– Saltiness
– Sourness
– Bitterness
– Sweetness
– Umami
• There is no specific zone for particular kind of taste in the tongue. The side portions of the
tongue are more sensitive as compared to the middle portion of the tongue. The back side of the
tongue is more sensitive to the bitter flavor.
TASTE PAPILLAE
• The taste papillae are good numbers of wart like bumps under the mucus membrane of the
tongue. They increases the surface area of the tongue several times and make sure that the
individual tastes can be perceived more intensely. This is called magnifying effect of the
tongue. The papillae contains several taste buds and sensory cells.
• There are four types of papillae categorized on the basis of shapes:
1. Filiform- these are coned shaped and having the rough appearance. It only contains three or
four taste buds and are present in entire tongue.
2. Fungiform- Mushroom-shaped structures(maximum diameter 1 mm) that are distributed
most densely on the edges of the tongue, especially the tip. An average of six taste buds per
papilla are embedded in the surface.
3. Circumvallate- they are present on the back of the tongue and contain around 100 of taste
buds. They are shaped like flattened hills.
4. Foliate- They also contain approximately 100 of taste buds. They are present along the side
of the tongue.
T Y P E S O F PA P I LL A E P RE SE N T O N T H E TO N G U E
TASTE BUDS
• They are the true taste organs and have life span of 10 days. Each taste bud contains 50-100 taste cells
and each taste cell connects with one or more nerve cell or nerve fiber.
• The taste buds are located in the walls and grooves of the papillae. Adults have between 2,000 and 4,000
taste buds in total. The sensory cells in the taste buds are renewed once a week. Most of the taste buds are
on the tongue. But there are also cells that detect taste elsewhere inside the oral cavity: in the back of the
throat, epiglottis, the nasal cavity, and even in the upper part of the esophagus.
• They are small onion shaped structure which are made up of 50-100 epithelial cells. There are two types
of cells:-
1) Taste cells- It is the main cell which is responsible for transferring the sensation of the taste to the
brain. On the top of surface there are hair like structure which is known as microvilli. These taste hair
contain the numerous taste receptors. The lower cell of gustatory cell is attached to the nerve fiber
which are branched of facial (VII), glossopharyngeal (IX), vagus cranial nerves. The facial nerve
provides anterior 2/3rd of the tongue and glossopharyngeal provides posterior 1/3rd of the tongue.
2) Supporting cells- The onion shape of the cell is because of the supporting cell. The outer tip of the
gustatory cells and supporting cell is arranged in such a way that they are creating a taste pore on the
upper part of the taste bud.
TA S T E B U D
OVERVIEW OF SENSORY RECEPTORS
• Sensory receptor cells take incoming stimuli of various types and transduce them into changes in
membrane potential. In most sensory receptor cells, specialized receptor proteins in the
membrane absorb the energy of the incoming stimulus and undergo a conformational change.
The conformational change in the receptor protein then activates a signal transduction pathway
that, directly or indirectly, opens or closes ion channels in the cell membrane, changing the
membrane potential.
• The change in membrane potential caused by the detection of the incoming stimulus ultimately
sends a signal onward to integrating centers such as the brain. The integrating centers must then
interpret this incoming sensory information and elicit appropriate responses. Thus, sensory
reception is a process with many steps, including
• (1) reception of the signal,
• (2) transduction of the signal,
• (3) transmission of the signal to the integrating center, and
• (4) perception of the stimulus at the integrating center.
• Sensory cell translating chemicals, electromagnetic and mechanical stimuli into action potential
that our nervous system can make sense of. This process is known as transduction and each
sense works in its own way.
A N O V E RV I E W O F S EN SO RY RE CEP TO RS
 SENSORY TRANSDUCTION IN GUSTATORY SYSTEM
• Converting of electrical, magnetic or
mechanical energy into electrical signal
with in the nerve. The cranial nerve VII,
IX and X provides the gustatory signal in
the nucleus of the solitary tract.
• Taste cell are the epithelial cell which is
polarized and it is having a free surface
which is known as apical and basal
surface is attached to the same
connective tissue. Each taste cell has a
microvilli on its apical surface which are
projected into mucous of the cell.

Cranial nerve provide the gustatory signal in the nucleus

of the solitary tract of the brain stem
• The apical and basolateral surfaces of the cell are
separated by tight junctions. The apical surface
contains both channels and G-protein-coupled
receptors that are activated by chemical stimuli. The
basolateral surface contains voltage-gated Na+, K+,
and Ca2+ channels, as well as all the machinery for
synaptic transmission mediated by serotonin. Also
shown are the relevant second messenger systems and
intracellular compartments that store Ca2+. The
increase in intracellular Ca2+ either by the activation of
voltage-gated Ca2+ channels or via the release from
intracellular stores causes synaptic vesicles to fuse and
release their transmitter onto receptors on primary
sensory neurons.
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION OF FIVE
DIFFERENT SENSES
SALT
• The sodium ion from the salty food enters through
Epithelial sodium channels. These channels allows
primarily sodium ions to move from outside the
taste receptors cell, where it has been dissolved in
saliva into the taste cell.
• The increased concertation of Na+ ions results in
depolarization inside the cells which opens the
voltage-gated Ca2+ channels.
• The influx of Ca2+ ions causes the release of
neurotransmitters that eventually signal the salt
taste to the brain by the synapses and infusing the
action potential on the primary afferent neurons.
SOUR
• The strong acids enter taste cells through the
proton channel while weak acids, like acetic acid
enter as neutral molecule and then dissociate to
lower intracellular pH.
• The increased concentration results in the
depolarization which eventually opens the
voltage-gated Ca2+ channels.
• The influx of Ca2+ causes neurotransmitter
release which is responsible for synaptic
formation and generation of action potential that
will eventually send the signal to brain through the
nerve cells.
 SWEET
• There are G-protein couple receptors on the
membrane of the taste cells. The sweet tastants binds
to GPCR, the G-protein initiates a downstream
transduction. The G-protein modifies the activity of
adenylate cyclase, resulting in the synthesis of the
cyclic nucleotide cAMP. The cAMP activates protein
kinase that phosphorylates and closes a K+ channel.
• The resulting depolarization opens voltage-gated
Ca2+ channels.
• The influx of Ca2+ causes neurotransmitter release
which is responsible for synaptic formation and
generation of action potential that will eventually send
the signal to brain through the nerve cells.
BITTER
• A bitter substance bind to its receptor, causing a
conformational change. Due to conformational
change there is a activation of the G proteins.
The activated g protein, transducing, activate
phospholipase C (PLC).
• PLC catalyzes the conversion of PIP2 into the
second messenger IP3. This IP3 causes the
releases of Ca2+ from intracellular stores.
• The influx of Ca2+ causes neurotransmitter
release which is responsible for synaptic
formation and generation of action potential
that will eventually send the signal to brain
through the nerve cells.
 UMAMI
• Umami taste is due to L-Glutamate which binds to the
GPCR know as Metabotropic glutamate receptor
(mGluR4).
• This causes the G-Protein complex to activate a
secondary receptor, T1R1 and T1R3. These T1R1 and
T1R3 are GPCR that inhibits adenylyl cyclase to decrease
cyclic Gaunosine Monophosphate (cGMP) levels in taste
receptors.
• This ligand binding leads to G beta gamma activation of
phospholipase C beta2 (PLC beta2) which produces the
secondary messenger ionositol triphosphate (IP3)
• The IP3 binds to the type 3 IP3 receptor which causes the
release of ca++ ions from intracellular stores and ca++
ion dependent activation of a transient receptor potential
channel TRPM5. TRPM5 is believe to depolarized taste
cell, which leads to relea``se of ATP which activates
ionotropic purinetgic receptors on afferent nerve fiber.
REFERENCES
• http://www.biology-pages.info/T/Taste.html
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5490520/
• http://www.eattasteheal.com/eth_6tastes.htm
• Neuro Science 3rd Edition by Dale_Purves_George J. Augustine
• Textbook of Medical Physiology 12th Edition by Guyton and Hall