PSYCH 1XX3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Taste, Umami, Fetus
Document Summary
Food seeking is as much a lifestyle as it is a necessity. During most of human evolution past behaviors were motivated by the constant need to obtain energy and nutrients essential for survival. In the present, these evolutionarily driven behaviors may now seem out of place in modern societies where calories come cheaply and easily. Smell is just as important as taste in guiding feeding behavior. There are many signals and complex interactions between the brain and digestive system that drive your feelings of hunger to consume food and drink, and satiety signals which lead you to stop consumption. When you are fasting low blood-glucose levels causes hunger. Glucose is the preferred source of energy for the brain. Uptake of glucose by cells: energy for immediate use, excess glucose stored as glycogen, excess stored as adipose. Decrease in blood sugar liver converts stored glycogen to glucose back into bloodstream.
