Olfaction and Gustation

What does a snake smell/taste like?

Taste and Smell

These senses depend on Chemoreceptors, which respond to chemicals in solution These receptors bind specific chemicals, causing a nerve impulse to be triggered
Both senses complement each other and respond to many of the same stimuli

Gustation (Taste)

Up to 10,000 taste buds are present in young adults, number declines with age. What does this taste like?

The Sense of Taste

Taste buds house the receptor organs Location of taste buds

Most are on the tongue Soft palate Cheeks

Figure 8.18ab

The Tongue and Taste

The tongue is covered with projections called papillae

Filiform papillae sharp with no taste buds Fungifiorm papillae rounded with taste buds Circumvallate papillae large papillae with taste buds

Taste buds are found on the sides of papillae

Gustatory Anatomy

Figure 17.2

Gustatory Stimulation

Gustatory cells are the receptors

Have gustatory hairs (long microvilli) that extend through a taste pore Hairs are stimulated by chemicals dissolved in saliva

Gustatory discrimination

Primary taste sensations

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter Receptors also exist for umami and water

Taste sensitivity shows significant individual differences, some of which are inherited Gustatory receptors are rapidly adapting.

Activity: Mapping Taste Buds

Using volunteers, we will attempt to map the taste buds on the tongue.

Baking soda: bitter Citrus: sour Sucrose: sweet Salt: salty

Where are these sensed most strongly on the tongue?

Data table
Front of Tongue Side of Tongue Back of Tongue

Bitter
Sour Sweet Salty

Kinds of Tastes
Sweet receptors Sugars Saccharine Some amino acids Sour receptors Acids Bitter receptors Alkaloids Salty receptors Metal ions ALSO: Umami

Questions:

What are the strongest taste sensations?

What is the EVOLUTIONARY advantage of having taste sensations?

The Pathway of Taste

Impulses are carried to the gustatory complex by several cranial nerves because taste buds are found in different areas

Facial nerve (VII) Glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) Vagus nerve (X)

These three cranial nerves continue on to the brain

Synapse within the solitary nucleus of the medulla oblongata Then on to the thalamus and the primary gustatory cortex in the parietal lobe

Olfaction (Smell)

10-100 million olfactory receptors with the collective capacity to sense about 10,000 different smells! Wonder what this smells like?

Olfaction The Sense of Smell

Olfactory receptors are in the roof of the nasal cavity

Neurons with long cilia Chemicals must be dissolved in mucus for detection

Impulses are transmitted via the olfactory nerve Interpretation of smells is made in the cortex

Olfactory Epithelium

Figure 8.17

Smell = Olfactory sense

Receptors are sensitive to many more than five different kinds of chemicals Olfactory pathways are closely tied to limbic system of brain, thus connected to our memories and emotion

Olfactory Stimulation

Olfactory glands secrete mucus which coats the surface of the receptors Olfactory reception involves detecting dissolved chemicals as they interact with receptor proteins on the hairs There is VERY little stimulation required to send a signal (a very low threshold) Olfactory receptors are very rapidly adapting.

Activity: Smell and Taste

Q: How much of taste is dependent on smell? A blind and smell-less taste test

Give your partner a lollipop while their nose is plugged and eyes are closed. They should try to identify the flavor of the lollipop by taste ONLY.

The Olfactory Organs

Figure 17.1a, b

The Olfactory Pathway

Stimulated Receptors pass signal on to Olfactory Nerves (I) which run into the olfactory bulbs (located on the inferior frontal lobe) Olfactory bulbs project into the olfactory tracts leading to the primary olfactory area in the temporal lobe.
**There is no synapse in the thalamus for arriving information

Cool Facts

Olfactory discrimination

Can distinguish thousands of chemical stimuli

CNS interprets smells by pattern of receptor activity

Olfactory receptors have a lifespan of about 1 month before they are replaced. These are Neurons that are being constantly regenerated! Generally the number of receptors decreases with age.

The ENDfor now.