Gustation

Gustation is the scientific term for the sense of taste. It is one of the five traditional senses. The sensation of taste includes five established basic tastes: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami. Other tastes such as fat and calcium have been proposed as possible basic tastes but are not universally recognized.

Physiology of Gustation

Taste buds, the sensory organs that detect taste, are located on the tongue, throat, and roof of the mouth. Each taste bud contains 50 to 100 taste receptor cells. These cells are activated by food or drink mixed with saliva. The taste receptor cells transmit signals to adjacent nerve fibers, which send these signals to the brain.

Basic Tastes

Sweetness

Sweetness is usually regarded as a pleasurable sensation and is produced by the presence of sugars and a few other substances.

Sourness

Sourness is the taste that corresponds to the basic taste sensation of acidity.

Saltiness

Saltiness is a taste produced primarily by the presence of sodium ions.

Bitterness

Bitterness is the most sensitive of the tastes, and many perceive it as unpleasant, sharp, or disagreeable.

Umami

Umami is a savory or 'meaty' taste due to the detection of the carboxylate anion of glutamic acid, a naturally occurring amino acid common in meat and cheese.

Disorders of Gustation

Taste disorders can include hypogeusia, a reduced ability to taste; ageusia, the inability to taste; and dysgeusia, which is a condition where a foul, salty, rancid, or metallic taste sensation persists in the mouth.

See Also

• Olfaction
• Taste bud
• Taste receptor

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