Taste
Taste
Taste (pronounced: /teɪst/) is one of the five traditional senses that allows organisms to identify and distinguish the flavors of substances.
Etymology
The word "taste" comes from the Old French taster meaning "to touch, feel, try; test the flavor of," which in turn is from Vulgar Latin *tastare, possibly an alteration of *taxtare, a frequentative form of Latin taxare "evaluate, handle".
Definition
Taste is the sensation produced when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor cells located on taste buds in the oral cavity, mostly on the tongue. Taste, along with smell (olfaction) and trigeminal nerve stimulation (registering texture, pain, and temperature), determines flavors of food and/or other substances.
Types of Taste
Humans have taste receptors that detect five different types of taste:
- Sweetness, usually regarded as a pleasurable sensation, is produced by the presence of sugars and a few other substances.
- Sourness is the taste that corresponds to the basic taste sensation of acidity.
- Saltiness is a taste produced primarily by the presence of sodium ions.
- Bitterness is the most sensitive of the tastes, and many perceive it as unpleasant, sharp, or disagreeable.
- Umami or savory taste is the name for the taste sensation produced by substances such as glutamates, typically found in foods like meat and cheese.
Related Terms
- Gustation: The act or faculty of tasting.
- Flavor: The overall impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell.
- Taste bud: A small organ on the tongue that allows humans and animals to perceive different flavors.
- Taste receptor: A type of receptor which facilitates the sensation of taste.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Taste
- Wikipedia's article - Taste
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