1.49. Taste and Smell http://www.ck12.org
1.49 Taste and Smell
- Describe how we identify different tastes and smells.
Why are your senses of taste and smell important?
Imagine you open a gallon of milk, and you suddenly smell a foul odor. Your sense of smell has informed you that
the milk has spoiled. So you pour the spoiled milk down the kitchen sink. Your sense of smell has possibly kept you
from getting sick!
Your sense of taste is controlled by sensoryneurons, or nerve cells, on your tongue that sense the chemicals in food.
The neurons are grouped in bundles withintaste buds. There are five different types of taste neurons on the tongue.
Each type detects a different taste. The tastes are:
- Sweet.
- Salty.
- Sour.
- Bitter.