• Question: how do we taste things ?

    Asked by sk8r to Damien, Rachael, Simon, Suzi, Tim on 16 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Simon Bennett

      Simon Bennett answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Hello,

      That is a good question, there are groups of cells on your tongue that each have different receptors on them that detect for specific taste molecules, such as sugar of citric acid from oranges and similar. When these receptors are activated by their specific molecule it causes an electrical impulse which travels up to the brain to tell you that you have tasted it.

      Thanks.

    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 16 Jun 2011:

      Hi @sk8r
      Apparently the ‘taste map’ that shows some areas of the tongue tasting certain things (like bitter) and some places other things (like sourness) is actually not true, and the different ‘taste receptors’ are evenly spread over your whole tongue!

      The map got drawn because someone mistranslated a German scientist’s academic paper in 1901, and we’ve believed it ever since, whoops!

      Just goes to show scientists can a) make mistakes, and more importantly b) admit their mistakes and correct them when they do!

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