What are taste buds, what types of taste does the body sense? Anatomy of taste, or how taste buds work

What kind of tastes do people have? What is the "5th taste"?

1. Tactile sensations are a form of skin sensitivity caused by the work of two types of skin receptors: the nerve plexuses surrounding the hair follicles
2. You need to feel an unpleasant taste in order to...
3. It is believed that a person distinguishes either four or five elementary tastes: salty, sour, sweet, bitter and one more, for which there is no Russian name.
   The fifth taste is called "umami" and is attributed to the taste of monosodium glutamate. However, it is sometimes called “sweet,” and food manufacturers believe that MSG simply enhances the sensation of other flavors. If you believe books about food, then it turns out that there are not five tastes, but many thousands, but culinary specialists do not mean elementary tastes, but combined ones. Recently, scientists have suspected that there are more than five of them.

   It turned out that taste buds rats react differently to different bitter substances. The bitter pathogen causes an increase in calcium concentration in the receptor cell, which prompts the cell to secrete a transmitter (a chemical transmitter of impulses between nerve cells). To study this process, biologists A. Caicedo and S. Roper from the University of Miami (USA) introduced a fluorescent label into the taste cells of rat tongues that responds to an increase in calcium levels. They then exposed the cells to various bitter compounds. It turned out that 66 percent of bitter-sensitive cells responded to only one compound, 27 percent to two, and 7 percent to more than two compounds. This means that the taste buds that respond to different bitter substances are different, but we only have one name for “bitter.” Or it is possible that rats are simply better at understanding the bitter side of life than humans.

   WHAT DOES TASTE CONSISTE OF?
   Different substances can have a pure or mixed taste. The taste of all purely bitter substances is perceived by humans in exactly the same way. Thus, solutions of opium, strychnine, morphine, quinine may differ from one another in the intensity of the feeling of bitterness they cause, but not in its quality. If we equalize the intensity of the sensation by taking the listed solutions in different concentrations, then they become indistinguishable. The same applies to sour tastes. Solutions of hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric, formic, oxalic, tartaric, citric and malic acids, taken in appropriate dilutions, taste indistinguishable. In the study of sweet substances, it was also found that there are not several types of sweets. Certain substances may have a more or less pronounced sweet taste, but if this taste is purely sweet, then their solutions cannot be distinguished from one another. Glucose, fructose, lactose, and sucrose have a purely sweet taste. Regarding the salty taste, it has been proven that only one substance possesses it in a purely expressed form - table salt. All other salty substances have a bitter or sour taste.

   After the substance has hit the tongue, first there is a sensation of touch (that is, a tactile feeling), and only then - taste sensations in the following order: at the tip of the tongue the salty taste appears first, followed by sweet, sour and lastly bitter; based on the tongue - first of all bitter, then salty and last of all sweet. These differences can also somehow affect the overall sensation of taste.

4. Sour, bitter, sweet, salty, and all this together is incomprehensible.
5. 5th is harmonious combination those four, I guess
6. http://www.fos.ru/filosofy/11858.html
   http://www.krugosvet.ru/articles/105/1010554/1010554a1.htm
   In humans, the sense of taste develops with the direct participation of the branches of the trigeminal nerve, providing a variety of perceived “flavors”. The concept of aroma is largely associated with the simultaneous perception of taste and smell.
7. The number of types of independent taste receptors is currently not precisely established. 4 “basic” tastes - sociocultural archaism of European culture, 5 basic tastes - cultures of states Southeast Asia.

   Its standard carrier is sodium chloride, table salt, especially the (Na+) ion. It is detected by ion channel receptors on the tongue, altering the action potential. The simultaneously perceived salty and sour tastes strongly interfere, making it difficult for us to understand which factor is stronger.

   The sour taste is clearly associated with the pH value of the liquid. The mechanism of perception is similar to the perception of salty. Oxonium ions (mainly H3O+) arise during the dissociation of acids. Since the pH value of human saliva is close to neutral (pH = 7), the action of strong and medium-strength acids causes a sensation of pure sour taste. However, some weak organic acids and hydrolyzed ions (aluminum) can also cause astringency ( astringent taste) .

   Sweetness is usually associated with the presence of sugars, but the same sensation occurs from glycerin, some proteins, and amino acids. One of the chemical carriers of “sweet” are hydroxo groups in large organic molecules - sugars, as well as polyols - sorbitol, xylitol. Sweet detectors are G-proteins located in taste buds.

   Bitterness, like sweetness, is perceived through G-proteins. Historically, bitter taste has been associated with an unpleasant sensation, and perhaps with the danger of some plant products for health. Indeed, most plant alkaloids are both toxic and bitter, and evolutionary biology has a basis for this conclusion.
   Substances with a characteristic strong bitter taste: denatonium (Bitrex 4, synthesized in 1958), Phenylthiocarbamide (abbreviation PTC), Quinine

   "Fifth taste", traditionally used in Chinese culture, in other eastern countries. Umami (Japanese) is the name for the taste sensation produced by free amino acids, in particular glutamine, which can be found in fermented and aged foods, such as Parmesan and Roquefort cheeses, soy and fish sauce. They are also contained in large quantities non-fermented foods such as walnuts, grapes, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms and, to a lesser extent, meat.

The most simple joy in a person’s life is delicious food. It would seem that you go to the kitchen, open the refrigerator, spend a certain amount of time at the stove - and voila! – aromatic dish already on the table, and endorphins in my head. However, from the point of view of science, the entire meal from start to finish is a complex multifaceted process. And how difficult it sometimes is for us to explain our eating habits!

The study of taste buds is carried out by a young and still developing science - the physiology of taste. Let's look at some basic tenets of the teaching that will help us better understand our taste preferences and momentary weaknesses.

Human taste buds

Taste is one of the five senses of perception, which are very important for human life. The main role of taste is to select and evaluate food and drink. Other senses, especially smell, help him in this regard.

The taste mechanism is driven by chemicals found in food and drink. Chemical particles, collecting in the mouth, turn into nerve impulses that are transmitted along the nerves to the brain, where they are deciphered. The surface of the human tongue is covered with taste buds, of which an adult has from 5 to 10 thousand. With age, their number decreases, which can cause certain problems with distinguishing tastes. The papillae, in turn, contain taste buds, which have a specific set of receptors, thanks to which we experience the whole gamut of taste diversity.

They respond to only 4 basic tastes - sweet, bitter, salty and sour. However, today a fifth element is often identified – umami. The newcomer’s homeland is Japan, and translated from the local language it means “appetizing taste.” In fact, umami is the taste of protein substances. Monosodium glutamate and other amino acids create the umami sensation. Umami is an important component of the flavor of Roquefort and Parmesan cheeses. soy sauce, as well as other unfermented products – walnut, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, thermally processed meat.

Thus, recently scientists have tended to think that some people perceive the same taste differently and that some are programmed to gain weight from French fries, while others can eat them without harm to their figure - this is a matter of heredity. In support of this statement, scientists from Duke University in the USA, together with colleagues from Norway, proved that people have different composition genes responsible for odors. The study focused on the relationship of the OR7D4 RT gene to a steroid called androstenone, which is found in high quantities in pork. Thus, people with identical copies of this gene are disgusted by the smell of this steroid, and owners of two different copies of the genes (OR7D4 RT and OR7D4 WM), on the contrary, do not feel any hostility.

Interesting facts about tastes

• Taste buds on the human tongue live on average 7-10 days, then they die and new ones appear. So don't be surprised if the same taste tastes a little different from time to time.

• About 15-25% of people in the world can safely be called “supertasters,” that is, they have an extremely sensitive taste, since there are more papillae on the tongue, and therefore more taste buds.

• The taste buds on the human tongue for sweet and bitter tastes were discovered just 10 years ago.

• All pure tastes are felt by a person absolutely equally. This means that we cannot talk about several types of sweet taste. There is just one to taste sweet taste, which, however, can vary in intensity: be brighter, more saturated or faded. The situation is similar with other tastes.

• Taste buds are most sensitive between 20-38 degrees. If you cool your tongue, for example, with ice, you may no longer feel the taste of sweet food, or it may change significantly.

• Good taste is formed in the womb. Thus, scientists have found that the taste of some foods is transmitted not only through mother’s milk, but also through the amniotic fluid while the baby is in the mother’s belly.

• American scientists conducted a study that established the dependence of taste preferences on a person’s age and gender. So, girls mostly prefer sweets, fruits, and vegetables. Boys, on the contrary, love fish, meat, poultry and, for the most part, are indifferent to chocolate.

• During air travel, due to the high noise level, a person's taste sensitivity to salty and sweet things decreases.

• The taste of the cookies is 11 times better when washed down with milk drinks. But coffee, on the contrary, “kills” all other sensations. Therefore, if you want to fully enjoy your dessert, it is better to choose the right drinks and consume coffee separately from other foods.

Sweet

Sweet taste is perhaps the most pleasant for the majority of the world's population. No wonder the expression " sweet life", and not some other. At the same time, not only flour and confectionery products are sweet, but also products of natural origin. At the same time, they are also healthy. Most sweet products contain a large amount of glucose. And as you know, glucose is the main metabolic fuel for the human body. That is why taste buds easily recognize sweet taste, and at the same time produce happiness hormones - serotonin and endorphin.Please note that these hormones are addictive. This is the explanation for the fact that we prefer to eat depression and stress with something sweet.

It's no secret that excessive consumption of sweets has an adverse effect on your figure and skin condition. However, you shouldn’t give up desserts completely. Do not eat treats on an empty stomach and, whenever possible, try to replace them with dried fruits, honey, and nuts.

Sour

In the majority acidic foods includes ascorbic acid. And if you suddenly have a craving for something sour, know that this may indicate a lack of vitamin C in your body. Such taste changes can even serve as a signal of an oncoming cold. The main thing is not to overdo it: you should not actively supply your body with this useful substance, everything is good in moderation. Excess acid negatively affects the functioning of the digestive system and the condition of tooth enamel.

If a lot of acid is involved in the metabolism, the body will try to get rid of its excess. This happens in different ways. For example, through the lungs by exhaling carbon dioxide or through the skin by sweating. But when all possibilities are exhausted, acids accumulate in the connective tissue, which impairs the functioning of the digestive system and provokes the accumulation of toxins in the body.

The daily requirement of vitamin C for adult men and women is 70-100 milligrams. There is especially a lot of it in sour berries(gooseberries, currants, cranberries), in citrus and kiwi fruits, in fresh vegetables(especially in bell peppers).

Who doesn't know the desire to eat something tasty? Some people like sweets, some prefer sour, and for some people, serve something salty or spicy.

Researchers claim that not only the food itself, but also its taste brings the body great benefit and provides healing effect.

Taste buds, what are they?

What these eating habits depend on is sometimes very difficult to explain. Science deals with this, and even a new direction has emerged that studies the physiology of taste and taste buds - taste therapy.

Tongue receptors, which are located on the human tongue, on the walls of the pharynx, palate, and tonsils, help us distinguish taste. Information from the receptors is transmitted along the fibers of the glossopharyngeal, facial and other nerves to the cerebral cortex, and there a sensation of one or another taste is formed.

Taste buds are special cells that are located in the bulbs, and the bulbs are on the taste buds. Taste buds line the surface of the tongue.

But taste cells are also located on the walls of the pharynx, tonsils and help us feel all the delights of the food we eat.

Information that the brain receives not only from taste buds, but also from olfactory, thermal, tactile, and nervous ones helps to get a complete picture of taste.

You have probably noticed more than once that during illness, with nasal congestion and congestion, the taste of food is distorted, it seems completely tasteless to us.

The perception of taste is not complete without teeth; nerve endings on the roots of teeth, like pressure sensors, transmit information to the brain about the hardness and structure of food.

Dentists say that if the nerve endings are removed along with the teeth, then the sensation of the taste of food changes.

Taste buds do not perceive well or distort the taste of food if the body temperature is above 38 degrees or, on the contrary, very low. Different combinations of foods often change the perception of taste.

Let's say the taste of wine is enhanced by the influence of cheese. If you eat something sweet before taking a sip of wine, you may experience completely unexpected taste sensations.

The perception of taste is also impaired due to frequent burns of the mucous membranes of the mouth and tongue when a person takes too much hot food and from chemical burns when alcohol or the like is taken in excessive doses.

In order to keep taste buds healthy longer, doctors do not recommend giving children too spicy, hot, spicy food, especially stuffed with nutritional supplements, under the influence of which a violation of taste sensations may occur.

Taste receptors work only in the presence of saliva, which dissolves dry substances and activates taste buds; in addition, saliva washes away food debris, preparing the tongue for new taste sensations.

But the most important function of saliva is that it binds acids and protects the taste buds from harmful effects on them.

Main types of taste

Traditionally, there were four main tastes: bitter, sweet, sour and salty, as you can see in the picture.

It was believed that receptors that recognize individual tastes are located in groups, so sweet is on the tip of the tongue, sour on the sides...

Modern functional and molecular data show that the receptors are distributed over the entire surface of the tongue, but differ in density.

Based on these data, we can confidently say that the “language map” presented above is an erroneous, outdated idea.

What is umami? In the 20th century, in the countries of Southeast Asia, America and Europe, in connection with the production of a food additive called , which changes the taste of food, they began to isolate new taste– umami.

Umami is the taste of monosodium glutamate and is considered the fifth taste. Experts explain it differently, some say that it resembles meat broth, others that it has an astringent-piquant taste.

Sweet taste felt under the influence of sugar, it is associated with tenderness and respect, and its deficiency in the body creates the presence of anxiety.

Sour taste depends on the content of inorganic and organic acids in food, it creates an impression of confidence and satisfaction. The lack of this taste gives rise to anger and anger.

Salty taste caused by the presence of inorganic ions, it evokes associations of fullness and calmness, and its absence gives rise to internal fear.

Bitter taste due to the presence of alkaloids, it is associated with love and joy, and its absence leads to devastation.

Spicy taste causes determination, while its lack in the body develops sadness.

The following facts are also interesting: our tongue senses sweet taste the least of the listed tastes. To determine it, the concentration of sugar must exceed 1:200, for salt 1:400, for acid 1:130,000, for bitterness 1:2,000,000. But to determine the taste of a substance, it must be dissolved; saliva performs this function in the body.

But in the East, six receptor sensations have long been accepted. Their bitter taste is further divided into two. There are purely bitter ones, like hina (we often say that cucumber is bitter) and hot ones, which include mustard, pepper, and radish.

Modern experts offer a more extensive classification. In addition to the above, there are mint, tart, metallic, alkaline and even the taste of fat and water, but this is not official yet.

The taste of fat was discovered quite recently by the Japanese; they discovered that rats perfectly recognize lipids with their taste buds.

An interesting fact is that in the human tongue there are more than 30 receptors that determine bitter taste, but there is only one for sweet, and only one for umami. In total, our tongue has about 10 thousand taste receptors!

Mixing tastes

Taste sensations can be pure or mixed. The receptors of the tongue feel the bitter taste in the same way, regardless of the history of its origin, only its effect is emphasized - weak or strong. That's why we never talk about several types of sweet, or bitter, or salty. We feel well either the brightness of the taste or its dullness. And here it is important to emphasize that purely salty taste Only table salt has it, while other salty tastes differ in intensity.

If several pure tastes are mixed, the result is mixed tastes. And then our receptors capture a variety of sensations that either like or cause rejection. The perception of taste improves the quality of human life, enriching it with new flavor colors.

Taste therapy is a very pleasant type of treatment, where you can prescribe the treatment yourself, because it is just eating, albeit with a specific purpose.

• Read the continuation of the article:

Health to you, dear readers!

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How many flavors are there? We used to think it was four. But now we know for sure that there are five of them: salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami - also called meat, protein or taste meat broth. Everything else is actually smells. Four-fifths of the sensations we get from food come from smells (remember how tasteless food is when you have a runny nose with a cold?).

We have two types of sense of smell - retronasal and orthonasal. Orthonasal - these are the smells that our nose “reads” from the air drawn in from outside. But retronasal smells are those odors that reach the olfactory receptors through the mouth - they are “read” by the olfactory receptors located in the upper part of the nasal sinuses. In order to reach these receptors, aromatic substances must evaporate from food or drink in our mouth and rise through the “internal nostrils” - the back openings of the nasal cavity. You'll understand how this happens by looking at the diagram below - the path that food aromas take is indicated in yellow.

How does the retronasal sense of smell work? The path that food aromas take within us is indicated in yellow.

There are many more smells that we can distinguish than tastes - their number is almost endless.

Although with tastes everything is not so simple. For example, during the Renaissance, people distinguished not four, not five, but seven types of taste: sweet, fatty, spicy, tart, sour, bitter and salty.

But it seems that the people of that great era really needed more tastes; for they indulged in gluttony with much more enthusiasm than we, their skinny descendants.

Here, for example, is the menu for the lunch that the seventy-one-year-old Valencian Archbishop Fernado Loatzes y Perez served for himself and four of his friends on February 9, 1568:

• two grilled chickens
• six similarly cooked partridges
• half a goat in a crispy crust
• five egg yolks with fat and spices
• whole roasted wild boar
• lamb meatballs on egg yolks
• stew from a kilo of lamb
• rutabaga with bacon
• stew from a kilogram of pork
• two kilograms of apples
• two artichokes
• olives, cheese, 50 walnuts, bread, wine and sweet oranges

For dinner (that same day), His Eminence and two friends who had survived lunch drank:

• snacks
• grilled rabbit
• three similarly cooked partridges
• three little rabbits
• kid's head stew
• cheese pie
• six eggs
• dessert
• and, of course, bread, wine and sweet oranges

When we see this menu, we realize that for our modest meals, seven flavors will probably be superfluous. But there is good news - taste can be developed to incredible heights, despite all sorts of classifications. They say that the famous French gourmet Grimaud de la Renière could distinguish between the left and right wings of a chicken by taste - he claimed that the wing was on the side on which it was located. gallbladder has a barely noticeable hint of bitterness.

Ask anyone how many tastes they can distinguish, and you'll probably hear the standard answer: four. Indeed, most of us are familiar with only four tastes, namely bitter, sweet, salty and sour. However, everything is not so simple, because there is a fifth taste called “umami”.

How do we differentiate tastes?

Each person's body reacts differently to different tastes and their combinations. The taste buds that respond to a particular product are developed differently, and the products themselves may have flavor combinations. For example, regular apple can be more sour or sweet. There are still some taste sensations that we like, and others not so much. For the most part, bitter-sour or bitter-salty tastes are unpleasant, but sweet-sour or salty-sour tastes are not bad.

At the tip of the tongue there are peculiar bulbs that allow you to distinguish tastes. The papillae do not transmit information about taste properties product directly to the nervous system, and first release special substances that are responsible for the sensation of basic tastes.

Scientists do not yet know what chemical processes or what part of the body is responsible for the combination of taste sensations. In addition to the four elemental tastes and the fifth umami, scientific researchers are discussing the recognition of another new taste - fatty. So far, scientists attribute it to textures, not tastes. So, let's look at the key perceived tastes: salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and also talk about the taste of umami.

What tastes can a person distinguish?

Sweet

For most they are a favorite. Sweets contain varying amounts of glucose, which acts as fuel for the body. When eating sweet foods, taste cells transmit to nervous system a signal that results in the production of the hormones endorphin and serotonin. They make people happy.

Sour

Acidic foods contain ascorbic acid. Thus, when a person craves such food, the body probably does not have enough vitamin C. Sometimes such taste preferences foreshadow the onset of a cold. The main thing is not to overdo it, as acidic foods harm the digestive organs.

Salty

Many people cannot do without the salty taste, and they often crave salty food after sweets. An example of this taste is table salt. If you feel the urge to add salt to everything, listen to yourself. Scientists were able to find out that this indicates an insufficient content of minerals.

Gorky

Bitter taste is unpleasant among other tastes. It contains poisonous and all kinds of toxic substances. Sensitivity in taste buds (bulbs) differs among people, so various bitter substances are intolerable for some, while others perceive them normally. Scientists explained this by the fact that taste buds have the ability to evolve.

It is noteworthy that the bitter taste has a “standard bitterness” - this is the substance quinine, used to prepare drinks, including gin.

What is umami taste?

If about the existence of bitter, salty and sour tastes We know, but only a few know about umami. It was discovered and recognized about 30 years ago in Japan. When conducting experiments with traditional cuisine components were discovered that give spicy taste dishes. It is different from all other known tastes, including sour, sweet, bitter and salty.

We will not delve into complex chemical reactions and processes, but note that the umami taste depends on monosodium glutamate. So the enterprising Ikeda, who discovered the taste of umami, patented the production flavoring agent, which is found in various products today.

It's not easy to describe its taste, but we'll try. For example, dried mackerel has it, dried mushrooms Shiitake varieties or tomatoes. Umami on its own is not always pleasant, but in minimal concentrations and when combined with other flavors it becomes pleasant.

Interesting facts about tastes

So, today it is believed that a person perceives five tastes of different nature, and we told you about them in detail. In addition, chemical reactions occur in our brain when combining tastes, but it is all very complex. Finally, we suggest interesting facts about the perception of tastes by the human body:

• Taste buds on the surface of the tongue have a short lifespan - no more than 10 days. After the expiration of the period, they die, and new ones appear in their place. This explains why we perceive the same taste differently over time.
• According to scientists, 15 to 25% of people are extremely sensitive to taste due to more taste buds on the tongue.
• Pure tastes the body perceives the same, therefore it does not exist different types sweet or sour tastes. Moreover, each of them can be saturated or faded.
• Receptors become maximally sensitive when the food temperature is between 20-38 degrees.
• Taste preferences depend on the gender and age of a person. For example, girls prefer sweets, vegetables and fruits, while boys prefer meat and fish, but they are most often indifferent to chocolate.

We hope we have answered your question about how many tastes the human tongue can distinguish and what sensations this or that food will evoke. Everything is quite complicated and even scientists have not found answers to all questions, however general principles you know now.