Question

Describe the pathway of taste reception from the point where food comes into contact with the tongue to the point at which taste information travels to the brain. Briefly describe the structure and function of each organ along the pathway.

Answer 1

Answer:

1.) The food or drink enters the mouth and sits on the taste pores on the surface of the tongue.

2.) The chemical molecules dissolve and become tastants.

3.) The tastants go to the taste receptors (that are located within the taste buds and papillae) via the gustatory hairs.

4.) The tastants stimulate the taste receptors.

5.) The taste receptors convert the tastants into sensory information that can be sent to the brain.

6.) The sensory information travel on the neural pathways along the facial cranial nerve.

7.) The sensory information goes to the thalamus.

8.) The sensory information goes to the primary gustatory cortex for interpretation.

Answer 2

The tastants stimulate the taste receptors. The taste receptors convert the tastants into sensory information that can be sent to the brain. The sensory information travel on the neural pathways along the facial cranial nerve.