chemicals are known as chemoreceptors Respond to chemical changes in internal and external environment
Sense of Taste (Gustation)
The specialized sense organs for taste (gustation) are taste buds that found in the mouth and throat The vast majority on the upper surface and sides of the tongue Taste bud (oval shape) Consists of supporting cells, gustatory receptor cells and basal cells The supp. cells surround about 50 gus rec cells in each taste bud Gustatory hair project from each gus rec cells to the external surfaces through the taste pore (an opening in the taste bud) Taste buds are small groups of cells and are found in lingual papillae Small hairlike projection increase the surface area of taste rec and contain integral membrane that transduce the chemical into receptor potential At the bottom of taste buds are basal cells, which divide and differentiate to continually replace the damage taste rec cells To contact with taste rec cells, food molecules must be dissolved in liquid Taste modalities generally fall into five different categories according to the rec type most strongly activated The five primary taste are sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (contain monosodium glutamate) Each group of tastes has a distinct signal transduction mechanism Salt taste the sodium ions (Na+) in salty food enter gus rec cells via Na+ channels in the plasma membrane The accumulation of Na+ inside causes depolarization that leads to release of neurotransmitter Sour taste is stimulated by foods with high acid content such as lemons, which contain citric acid The hydrogen ions (H+) in sour tastants may flow into gus rec cells via H+ channels They also influence in opening and closing other types of ion channls The result is depolarizes and the liberation of neurotransmitter Sweet rec have integral membrane protein that bind natural sugar and artificial sweetener This binding activates a G-protein that blocks potassium channels and generates cell depolarization Bitter and Umami Tastants bind to receptors linked to G- proteins & activate different 2nd messengers, cell depolarization and release of neurotransmitters Detection of tastants & Activation of the gustatory receptors
chemical that stimulate gustatory rec cells are
known as tastants tastants dissolved in saliva ↓ → contact with plasma membrane of the gustatory hairs ↓ produce receptor potential ↓ stimulates exocytosis of synaptic vesicles from the gustatory receptor cells ↓ neurotransmitter molecules trigger nerve impuls in sensory neurons that synapse with gus rec cells Gustatory pathway
The taste buds project impulses
through 3 cranial nerves a) Facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) serves anterior 2/3 of the tongue b) Glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX) serves posterior 1/3 of the tongue c)Vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) serves the throat medulla oblongata thalamus primary gustatory area in the parietal lobe of the cerebral cortex perception of taste Sense of Smell (Olfaction)
Both smell and taste are chemical senses
The sensations arise from the interaction of molecules with smell or taste receptors The nose contains 10-100 million receptors, within an area called olfactory epithelium Olf rec can recognition of ~10,000 different odors with great accuracy Olfactory neural circuits encode info. about different chemical structures associated with the odors > sensitive than taste receptors, contribute to ~80% of food flavor Structure and Function of the Olfactory Receptors The olfactory epithelium occupies the superior part of the nasal cavity Consists of olfactory receptor cells, supporting cells, basal stem cells Receptor cells a) are constantly replaced by new cells produced by the basal stem cells b) are specialized afferent neurons (of the olfactory pathway) with a single enlarged dendrite extending to the epithelium surface c) signal transduction arise from the olfactory cilia that project from the dendrites Supporting cells SC are columnar epithelial cells Its provide physical support, nourishment, electrical insulation and help to detoxify chemicals Basal cells are stem cells, located between the bases of supporting cells Its undergo cell division to produce new olfactory receptors Olfactory glands Located within the connective tissue Its produced mucus that is carried to the surfaces of the epi by ducts The secretion moistens the surfaces of the olfactory epi and dissolves odorants so that transduction can occur Detection of an odorant (odorous substance) & Activation of the olfactory receptors
Substance molecules (odorants)
diffuse into the air & pass into the nose ↓ dissolve in the mucus covering the epithelium ↓ bind to specific odorant receptors on the cilia (most are linked to G-proteins) ↓ activates G-protein ↓ activates an enzyme adenylate cyclase ↓ production of cAMP → opening of Na+ channels trigger Na+ influx ↓ depolarizing generator potential ↓ generation of nerve impulses & propagation along axon of olfactory receptor The Olfactory pathway
The axons collectively form the right & left
olfactory (I) nerves (cranial nerve I) ↓ terminate in the olfactory bulbs located below the frontal lobes of the cerebrum (↑ specificity with spatial & temporal components) ↓ synapse with dendrites & cell bodies of olfactory bulb neurons in the olfactory pathway ↓ neurons extend posteriorly & form the olfactory tract ↓ axons project to the lateral olfactory area at the inferior and medial surface of the temporal lobe (conscious awareness of smells begin) ↓ frontal cortex / thalamus The Olfactory Pathway
Bundles of slender axons of olfactory rec (40) collectively
form the right and left olfactory (I) nerves ↓ The olf ner terminate in the olf bulbs, which are located below the frontal lobes of the cerebrum Within the olf bulbs, the axon terminals of olf rec form synapses with the dendrites and cell bodies of olf bulb neurons ↓ Axons of olf bulb neurons extend posteriorly and form the olfactory tract ↓ Some of the axons of the olf tract project to the primary olf area of the cerebral cortex Other axons of the olf tract project to the limbic system and hypothalamus ↓ project to frontal lobe