| Revision as of 19:08, 8 July 2004 editSayeth (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users2,715 edits Removed parts that didn't seem to have anything to do with taste← Previous edit | Revision as of 16:18, 9 July 2004 edit undoSandman~enwiki (talk | contribs)1,190 editsm seperate -> separateNext edit → | ||
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| '''Taste''' is one of the most common and fundamental of ] in life on ]. It is the direct detection of chemical composition, usually through contact with ] cells. Taste is very similar to ] (the sense of smell), in which the chemical composition of an organism's ambient medium is detected by chemoreceptors. In a liquid medium, taste is often used to describe this act as well. | '''Taste''' is one of the most common and fundamental of ] in life on ]. It is the direct detection of chemical composition, usually through contact with ] cells. Taste is very similar to ] (the sense of smell), in which the chemical composition of an organism's ambient medium is detected by chemoreceptors. In a liquid medium, taste is often used to describe this act as well. | ||
| In humans, the sense of taste is ] by ]s and is conveyed via three of the twelve cranial nerves. The ] (VII) carries taste sensations from the anterior two thirds of the ], the ] (IX) carries taste sensations from the posterior one third of the tongue while a branch of the ] (X) carries some taste sensations from the back of the oral cavity. Information from these cranial nerves is processed by the ]. | In humans, the sense of taste is ] by ]s and is conveyed via three of the twelve cranial nerves. The ] (VII) carries taste sensations from the anterior two thirds of the ], the ] (IX) carries taste sensations from the posterior one third of the tongue while a branch of the ] (X) carries some taste sensations from the back of the oral cavity. Information from these cranial nerves is processed by the ]. | ||
| As a general rule, taste is a global fuzzy assessment of the interaction of the fundamental taste systems of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and ]. Location of the stimulus on the tongue is not important, despite the common misperception of a "taste map" of preference for different tastes in specific areas of the tongue . In reality, the |
As a general rule, taste is a global fuzzy assessment of the interaction of the fundamental taste systems of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and ]. Location of the stimulus on the tongue is not important, despite the common misperception of a "taste map" of preference for different tastes in specific areas of the tongue . In reality, the separate populations of taste buds sensing each of the ] are distributed across the tongue. | ||
| If half of the tongue is blocked from sending information to the brain, people will report that a doubling of psychological perception has occurred for sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Salty taste will be reported as being at the correct one half level. Salt slows down the firing frequency of nerve cells on the tongue. Salt can be used to reduce the bitterness of foods. | If half of the tongue is blocked from sending information to the brain, people will report that a doubling of psychological perception has occurred for sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Salty taste will be reported as being at the correct one half level. Salt slows down the firing frequency of nerve cells on the tongue. Salt can be used to reduce the bitterness of foods. | ||
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Revision as of 16:18, 9 July 2004
Taste is one of the most common and fundamental of the senses in life on Earth. It is the direct detection of chemical composition, usually through contact with chemoreceptor cells. Taste is very similar to olfaction (the sense of smell), in which the chemical composition of an organism's ambient medium is detected by chemoreceptors. In a liquid medium, taste is often used to describe this act as well.
In humans, the sense of taste is transduced by taste buds and is conveyed via three of the twelve cranial nerves. The facial nerve (VII) carries taste sensations from the anterior two thirds of the tongue, the glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) carries taste sensations from the posterior one third of the tongue while a branch of the vagus nerve (X) carries some taste sensations from the back of the oral cavity. Information from these cranial nerves is processed by the gustatory system.
As a general rule, taste is a global fuzzy assessment of the interaction of the fundamental taste systems of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. Location of the stimulus on the tongue is not important, despite the common misperception of a "taste map" of preference for different tastes in specific areas of the tongue . In reality, the separate populations of taste buds sensing each of the basic tastes are distributed across the tongue.
If half of the tongue is blocked from sending information to the brain, people will report that a doubling of psychological perception has occurred for sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Salty taste will be reported as being at the correct one half level. Salt slows down the firing frequency of nerve cells on the tongue. Salt can be used to reduce the bitterness of foods.
See also Flavor
Taste in aesthetics
Taste can also refer to one's appreciation for aesthetic quality. Paul Graham notes, "I think it's easier to see ugliness than to imagine beauty. The recipe for great work is: very exacting taste."
Taste as a metaphor for experience or knowledge
To taste can also be another way of saying one can "experience" or "know" what something is by investigating its characteristics and innate qualities through direct physical interaction, so as to make distinctions. Examples: "I've had a taste of that kind of situation and I would never willingly do it again"; "It left a bad taste in my mind, I know it wasn't a mentally healthy thing for me to do." A good synonym would be "test".