Five Senses of Taste

Apr 16, 2006 by tarotoast    4 Comments    Posted under: College (UCSD), Footprints + Diary

This is what I used to believe:

(via: http://freda.auyeung.net/5senses/taste.htm)

Apparently, what I learned in elementary school is WRONG!!!!

There are five senses of taste that your brain can interpret:

1. Sweet: sugars
2. Sourness: acids involving H+ ions
3. Saltiness: primarily Na+
4. Bitter: alkaloids
5. Umami: glutamate

Umami? According to Wikipedia:

The four well-known receptors detect sweet, salt, sour, and bitter, although the receptors for sweet and bitter have not been conclusively identified. A fifth receptor, for a sensation called umami, was first theorised in 1908 and its existence confirmed in 2000 (see [1]). The umami receptor detects the amino acid glutamate, a flavor commonly found in meat, and in artificial flavourings such as monosodium glutamate.

In very easy to understand way of explaining, it's the tastiness that MSG brings.

Further Readings:

• The Sense of Taste
• Basic Taste
• The lecture note last quarter

4 Comments + Add Comment

• 
  kingston April 16, 2006 at 6:05 pm

  That’s what I had heard about it recently. And it explains why add some oil in the food taste better, it’s not about the texture, but the taste. That’s why people would choose butter, but not margarine.
• 
  kingston April 16, 2006 at 10:59 pm

  Besides, don’t tell me you are still in elementary school in 2000. =.=#
• 
  I-Paa April 17, 2006 at 2:05 am

  The MSG (monosodium glutamate),or 味素(麩酸鈉), is said to be responsible for so-called Chinese Restaurent Syndrome, compromised of headache, throbbing of the head, dizziness, lightheadedness, a feeling of facial pressure, tightness of the jaw, burning or tingling sensations over parts of the body, chest pain, and back pain about 2 hours after taking Chinese food. Sometimes bronchial asthma was triggered, too.
  The glutamate is actually a major excitatory neurotransmitter, located throughout the CNS, including the cortical pyramidal cells. The exact role of it is yet to be determined. Interested in it? A great topic and a wide field to run.
• Why does orange juice taste so bad after brushing your teeth? at Tarotoast’s Stuff October 27, 2006 at 1:04 pm

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