PHYL 2041 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: G Protein–Coupled Receptor, Taste Receptor, Trigeminal Nerve
7 Dec 2018
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Phyl 2041 lecture 21 november 29, 2018 chemical senses: taste and olfaction. Taste (gustation) is the sensation evoked by stimulation of taste receptors by water soluble chemicals. Olfaction is the sensation that results from the detection of airborne (volatile) odorous substances in the environment. You cannot taste anything if the substance is not dissolved in some liquids. Gustation is the sensory modality generated when water soluble chemicals activate taste buds and transmit signals to a specific region of the brainstem: capsaicin and menthol stimulate ion channels in somatosensory nerve fibers. However, capsaicin modulates taste by stimulating interactions between somatosensory trigeminal nerve fibers in the tongue and taste buds: additional somatosensory modalities (ex. Texture in the mouth) and visual cues (ex. Color) also significantly influence the taste of foods. It is not yet clear if we taste fat or if we only recognize the texture. Specific fatty acid receptors have been recently found on the taste buds.
