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Perception > Topic 12: The Chemical Senses > Flashcards

Topic 12: The Chemical Senses Flashcards

1
Q

The partial or complete loss of the sense of smell

A

Anosmia

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2
Q

Loss of sense of taste

A

Ageusia

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3
Q

What are the there components of the chemical senses?

A

Taste
Olfaction
Flavour

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4
Q

When molecules enter the mouth and stimulate receptors on the tongue

A

Taste

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5
Q

When airborne molecules enter the nose and stimulate receptors in the nasal cavity

A

Olfaction

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6
Q

Which three properties distinguish the chemical senses from others?

A

Directly in contact with the external environment

Constantly exposed to the outside world

Regenerate ~ 5-7 weeks for olfaction, and ~ 1-2 weeks for gustation

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7
Q

Describe a positive and negative aspect of the chemical sensory receptors constantly being exposed to the outside world

A

Pro - easily interact with the chemicals they are supposed to respond to

Con - exposed to harmful materials such as bacteria and dirt

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8
Q

Why are the chemical senses described as “gate-keeper” senses?

A

Identify things that the body needs for survival, and what can safely be consumed

Detects things that would be bad for the body and that should be rejected

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9
Q

List the five taste qualities

A

Salty
Sour
Sweet
Bitter
Umami

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10
Q

Why is it adaptive to be able to taste sweetness?

A

Often associated with compounds that have
nutritive or caloric value, typically carbohydrates

Quickly available energy source

Needed for survival (e.g. glucose and the brain)

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11
Q

Why is it adaptive to taste sourness?

A

Causes an automatic bodily response that prepares the GI system to get ready to process food (e.g. salivation, stomach acid)

Can indicate fermentation or when something is not ready to be consumed

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12
Q

Why is it adaptive to tase bitterness?

A

Can trigger automatic rejection responses that help
an organism avoid harmful substances

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13
Q

Why is it adaptive to taste salitiness?

A

Indicates the presence of sodium - When our bodies are deprived, or we lose a lot sweating, we seek out foods that taste salty to replenish

A homeostatic mechanism in our brains for “thirst” vs.
salt - we need sodium for neurotransmission but don’t want to lose water

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14
Q

Why is it adaptive to taste savoury foods?

A

Usually indicate protein content - a more long-lasting source of energy for our body

Indicates the presence of glutamate - Main inhibitory neurotransmitter

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15
Q

What are the four categories of papillae on the tongue?

A

Filiform
Fungiform
Foliate
Circumvallate

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16
Q

Papillae found over the entire surface of the tongue; only ones present in the center

A

Filiform

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17
Q

Papillae found at the tips and sides of the tongue

A

Fungiform

18
Q

Papillae in the form of mounds found at the back of the tongue

A

Circumvallate

19
Q

Papillae in the form of folds along the sides and back of the tongue

A

Foliate

20
Q

Which type of papillae do not contain taste buds?

A

Filiform

21
Q

True or False: Taste qualities are separated into different areas of the tongue

A

False: all taste qualities come from all parts of the tongue

22
Q

Why does stimulating the centre of the tongue not produce the perception of taste?

A

Only filiform papillae are in the center, no taste buds

23
Q

Where transduction for gustation occurs; converts chemicals from the environment into
electrical activity

A

Taste cells

24
Q

Describe the gustatory pathway

A

Once chemicals contact the
taste cells, electrical activity is produced that is transmitted from the tongue, through the cranial nerves, to the
thalamus, then to the insula/frontal operculum (these two combined make up the primary gustatory cortex - GC)

25
Q

What seems to explain individual differences in taste?

A

Genetic differences that affect people’s ability to perceive taste of certain substances

26
Q

Describe humans’ olfactory detection thresholds

A

Extremely large range in this
threshold depending on the substance

27
Q

The source of an odorant/smell

A

Odour objects

28
Q

What are the two stages of olfactory processing for perceiving odour objects?

A

Takes place at the beginning of the olfactory system in the olfactory mucosa and olfactory bulb

Takes place in the olfactory cortex

29
Q

Explain the role of the olfactory mucosa

A

Odorant molecules are carried by air into the nose, which brings these
molecules into contact with the mucosa

Once inside they directly contact the olfactory receptor neurons, where olfactory transduction occurs

We have millions of these neurons, but there are only ~400 different types of
olfactory receptors, each being sensitive to only a narrow range of odorants

30
Q

Pattern of olfactory activation for an odorant that indicates which olfactory receptors will fire

A

Recognition profile

31
Q

What occurs when olfactory sensory receptors fire?

A

The signals are passed to the glomeruli in the olfactory bulb

32
Q

What are the two main olfactory areas of the brain?

A

Piriform cortex – the primary
olfactory cortex

Orbitofrontal cortex – the secondary
olfactory cortex

33
Q

True or false: the olfactory system pathway does not pass through the thalamus

A

True

34
Q

The olfactory bulb sends
signals directly to the — and the —

A

Amygdala and hippocampus (emotion and memory)

35
Q

Memories about a person’s life that are brought on by smells

A

Odour-evoked autobiographical memories

36
Q

A combination of stimulation of the receptors on the tongue and stimulation of receptors on the olfactory mucosa

A

Flavour

37
Q

Describe the process of flavour perception

A

Chemicals in food cause taste when they activate receptors on the tongue

Food releases chemicals
while being broken down in the mouth that reach the olfactory mucosa through the retronasal route

Mapping the two pathways for olfaction and taste, there is overlap in the brain regions

38
Q

The — cortex seems to be important for our ability to perceive flavour

A

Orbitofrontal

39
Q

Connects the oral and nasal cavities

A

Retronasal route

40
Q

Give examples of how visual, auditory, and tactile information can influence our perception of flavour

A

The more coloured a food is, the higher we rate the flavour

If music is playing, we tend to rate foods as being more flavourful

Mouthfeel

Perception (10 decks)

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