The six tastes in nutrition according to Ayurveda are sweet, salty, sour, spicy, bitter, astringent. Anatomy of taste, or how taste buds work

What are the human tastes? What is "5th taste"?

1. Tactile sensations are a form of skin sensitivity due to the work of two types of skin receptors: the nerve plexuses surrounding the hair follicles
2. you need to feel an unpleasant taste in order to ....
3. It is believed that a person distinguishes either four or five elementary tastes: salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and one more, for which there is no Russian name.
   The fifth taste is called "umami" and is attributed to the taste of monosodium glutamate. However, sometimes it is called "sweet", and food manufacturers believe that monosodium glutamate simply enhances the sensation of other tastes. If you believe the books about food, then there are not five, but many thousands of tastes - but culinary specialists do not mean elementary tastes, but combined ones. Recently, scientists have suspected that there are not five of them.

   It turned out that the taste buds of rats react differently to various bitter substances. The bitter pathogen causes an increase in calcium concentration in the receptor cell, which induces the cell to secrete a transmitter (a chemical transmitter of impulses between nerve cells). To study this process, biologists A. Caisedo and S. Roper from the University of Miami (USA) introduced a fluorescent label into the taste cells of the rat tongue, which reacts to an increase in calcium levels. They then exposed the cells to various bitter compounds. It turned out that 66 percent of bitter-sensitive cells responded to only one compound, 27 percent to two, and 7 percent to more than two compounds. This means that the taste buds that respond to different bitter substances are different, but we only have one name for "bitter". Or perhaps rats are simply better versed in the bitter side of life than humans.

   WHAT IS TASTE COMPOSED OF
   Different substances may have a pure or mixed taste. The taste of all purely bitter substances is perceived by man in exactly the same way. So, solutions of opium, strychnine, morphine, quinine may differ from one another in the intensity of the feeling of bitterness they cause, but not in its quality. If, however, the intensity of sensation is equalized by taking the listed solutions in different concentrations, then they become indistinguishable. The same applies to sour tastes. Solutions of hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric, formic, oxalic, tartaric, citric and malic acids, taken in the appropriate dilution, are indistinguishable in taste. In the study of sweet substances, it was also found that there are no several types of sweet. Certain substances may have a more or less pronounced sweet taste, but if this taste is purely sweet, then their solutions cannot be distinguished from one another. Glucose, fructose, lactose, sucrose have a purely sweet taste. With regard to the salty taste, it has been proven that only one substance, common salt, has it in its pure form. All other brackish substances have a bitter or sour taste.

   After the substance has got on the tongue, first there is a sensation of touch (that is, a tactile feeling), and only then - taste sensations in the following order: at the tip of the tongue, a salty taste appears first, followed by sweet, sour, and last of all bitter; on the basis of the tongue - first of all bitter, then salty and last of all sweet. These differences can also somehow affect the overall sensation of taste.

4. Sour, bitter, sweet, salty, and it's all together and incomprehensible.
5. 5th is a harmonious combination of those four - guess
6. http://www.fos.ru/filosophy/11858.html
   http://www.krugosvet.ru/articles/105/1010554/1010554a1.htm
   In humans, the sense of taste develops with the direct participation of the branches of the trigeminal nerve, providing a variety of perceived "tastes". The concept of aroma is largely associated with the simultaneous perception of taste and smell.
7. The number of types of independent taste receptors is currently not precisely established. 4 "basic" tastes - socio-cultural archaism of European culture, 5 main tastes - cultures of the states of Southeast Asia.

   Its standard carrier is sodium chloride, table salt, especially the ion (Na+). It is detected by ion channel receptors on the tongue, changing the action potential. Simultaneously perceived salty and sour tastes strongly interfere, making it difficult for us to understand which of the factors is stronger.

   The sour taste is uniquely associated with the pH value of the liquid. The mechanism of perception is similar to the perception of salty. Oxonium ions (mainly H3O+) arise during the dissociation of acids. Since the pH value of human saliva is close to neutral (pH = 7), the action of strong acids and acids of medium strength causes a sensation of pure sour taste. However, some weak organic acids and hydrolyzable ions (aluminum) can also cause a feeling of astringency (astringency).

   Sweetness is usually associated with the presence of sugars, but the same sensation comes from glycerol, certain proteins, amino acids. One of the chemical carriers of "sweet" are hydroxo groups in large organic molecules - sugars, as well as polyols - sorbitol, xylitol. Sweet detectors G-proteins located in the taste buds.

   Bitterness, like sweetness, is perceived through G-proteins. Historically, the bitter taste has been associated with an unpleasant sensation, and possibly with the health hazards of certain plant foods. Indeed, most plant alkaloids are both toxic and bitter, and evolutionary biology has reason to believe so.
   Substances with a characteristic strong bitter taste: denatonium (Bitrex 4, synthesized in 1958), Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC abbreviation), Quinine

   The "fifth taste", traditionally used in Chinese culture, in other countries of the East. Umami (Japanese) is the name given to the taste sensation produced by free amino acids, specifically glutamine, which can be found in fermented and aged foods such as Parmesan and Roquefort cheeses, soy sauces and fish sauces. They are also found in a large number of unfermented foods, such as walnuts, grapes, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, and, to a lesser extent, in meat.

Story

In Western culture, the concept of "basic tastes" dates back at least to the time of Aristotle.

In adults, mixed saliva in the oral cavity has a pH = 6.8 ... 7.4, so the tongue can feel more or less acidic zones in the mouth. If the product has a pH<7, мы ощущаем кислый вкус. При рН>7 we feel the so-called. "soapy" taste. A convenient standard of acidity is solutions of acetic acid (for comparison, the acidity of gastric juice is normal pH ~ 1).

Sweet

Sweetness is usually associated with the presence of sugars, but the same sensation comes from glycerol, certain proteins, amino acids (aspartame). One of the chemical carriers of "sweet" are hydroxo groups in large organic molecules - sugars, as well as polyols - sorbitol, xylitol. Sweet detectors are G-proteins located in the taste buds. A system of "second messengers" is used, specifically cAMP, associated with H ± channels, that is, the reception of "sour taste".

bitter

Bitterness, like sweetness, is perceived through G-proteins. Historically, the bitter taste has been associated with an unpleasant sensation, and possibly with the health hazards of some plant foods. Indeed, most plant alkaloids are both toxic and bitter, and evolutionary biology has reason to believe so.

The synthetic bitter substance denatonium (known under the brand name Bitrex) is synthesized in . Its derivative (Denatonium benzoate) is used as a "repellent agent" to prevent accidental ingestion of toxic substances, for example by children or animals.

astringent

This taste is associated with the reception of tannins (tannins in tea, blackthorn berries, etc.). The mechanism of its occurrence is associated with the binding of tannins and proteins rich in proline. With insufficiently developed terminology in certain social or linguistic groups, this taste is not distinguished and is evaluated as a variant of bitter.

Notes

Links

1. "Taste bud" for fatty foods found (English) . BBC News (November 2, 2005). Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2010.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

See what "Basic Tastes" is in other dictionaries:

This term has other meanings, see Taste (meanings). Taste in physiology is one of the types of chemoreception; a sensation that occurs when various substances act mainly on taste receptors (located on taste buds ... ... Wikipedia

Taste in physiology is one of the types of chemoreception; a sensation that occurs when various substances act mainly on taste receptors (located on the taste buds of the tongue, as well as the posterior pharyngeal wall, soft palate, tonsils, ... ... Wikipedia

- (Japanese 旨味?) the taste of proteins, the “fifth taste”, traditionally used in Japanese culture, in other countries of the east. The umami sensation is created by monosodium glutamate and other amino acids. These are food additives of the E600 E699 group. Due to the fact that ... ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Sour. Village Sour Country Russia Russia ... Wikipedia

TASTE, noun. Sensation resulting from irritation of the mucous membrane of the tongue by various substances

TASTE, noun. Property, quality of food felt when eating

TASTE, noun. Feeling beautiful, graceful, a person's ability to aesthetic perception and appreciation

TASTE, noun. Inclination, interest, passion for something

Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

TASTE, taste, m. 1. only units. Sensation that occurs when the mucous membrane of the tongue is irritated by soluble substances. Bitter, sweet, salty, sour taste. Taste is one of the five external senses. Taste. || The quality of food, evaluated by the sensations it produces, the taste property. Pleasant taste. Taste of bread. Bitter in taste. Good tasting apple (delicious). 2. only units A sense of grace, the ability of aesthetic appreciation. Discriminating taste. Man of taste. He has taste. Great taste. Dress tastefully. 3. Inclination, love for something, habit, addiction. Taste for poetry. Rough tastes of the crowd. We have the same tastes. Griboyedov. Tastes could not be discussed. Everyone has their own taste: who loves melon, and who loves watermelon. Proverb. He chose to do what he liked. 4. only units Style, artistic manner (colloquial). Vase in antique style. It's to my taste. To get a taste - to begin to feel pleasure from something, to become addicted to something. I haven't got the taste yet. to have a taste for something - to be prone to something, to love something. To be of the same taste, different taste (about objects) - to have the same taste, different taste. To be of the same tastes, different tastes (about people) - to have the same, different tastes, views. Bourgeois with us different tastes. D. Poor.

Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

TASTE, m. relish, one of the five external senses, whose instruments are located in the mouth, the main ones in the tongue, for recognizing certain properties of food, like sweetness, bitterness, acidity, saltiness, insipidity, etc. | The very property of the variety of food and objects tasted on the tongue. Taste and smell are personal feelings; vision, hearing and touch are common. I have a bitter taste and everything is bitter. In these apples the taste is not good; they taste bad. Navaga fish tastes like cod. You can't recognize horse meat from beef by taste. The taste, the color of the master (comrade) is not what anyone likes. Food is known by taste, and holiness by skill. Without chewing, you will not know the taste. After the finished work, a delicious lunch. At work, the food tastes better. Smooth, soft, and nasty. I don’t take on the taste, but it’s hot, but it will be wet. Not the same taste, but we will be full. | * The concept of beauty, in the arts; a sense of grace, beauty, decency and pleasing to the eye. | Poshib iconographic genus, type, style, school, distinctive properties of a work of art, as a common feature of a school or genus. Don't argue about taste. The house is tastefully decorated. This artist has a lot of taste; he builds in the Russian style, in the Mauritanian. Delicious, palatable, pleasing to the sense of taste, edible, southern. savory, folk, sweet. Yummy. property, quality delicious. Yummy. astra. kusnya, kusnitsa, scrambled eggs with slices of white bread in milk and butter. Eat, taste what, what, taste food or drink; | to eat, eat or drink. | * Enjoy what; take in the immaterial. Taste joy, life. He tasted death. -Xia, to be tasted. Eating cf. duration the meal is over. action by vb.

Modern explanatory dictionary

TASTE, a sensation that occurs when various soluble substances are exposed to taste buds located in vertebrates, mainly in the tongue. Basic taste sensations: bitter, sweet, sour, salty. Taste affects appetite and digestion, depending on the physiological state. In some diseases it can be perverted. In most invertebrates, the organs of general chemical sense (taste and smell) are sensilla and other chemoreceptors.

Aesthetic TASTE, the ability of a person to distinguish, understand and evaluate aesthetic phenomena in all spheres of life and art. The formation and development of taste is the task of aesthetic education.

Wise words

The word is like a stone: if its hand throws it, then you won’t turn it back later.

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Ask any person how many tastes they have, and you will probably hear the standard answer: four. Indeed, most of us are familiar with only four tastes, namely bitter, sweet, salty and sour. However, everything is not so simple, because the fifth taste is known as “umami”.

How do we differentiate between tastes?

The body of each person reacts differently to different tastes and their combinations. Taste buds that react to a particular product are developed in different ways, and the products themselves can have flavor combinations. For example, an ordinary apple is more sour or sweet. There are some taste sensations we like, and others not so much. Most bitter-sour or bitter-salty tastes are unpleasant, but sweet-sour or salty-sour tastes are not bad.

At the tip of the tongue are peculiar onions, which allow you to distinguish between tastes. The papillae do not transmit information about the taste properties of the product directly to the nervous system, but first secrete special substances that are responsible for the sensation of basic tastes.

What chemical processes or what part of the body is responsible for the combination of taste sensations, scientists still do not know. In addition to the four elemental tastes and the fifth umami, scientists are debating the acceptance of another new taste, fat. So far, scientists attribute it to textures, not tastes. So let's take a look at the key perceived tastes: salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and also talk about umami.

What tastes can a person distinguish

Sweet

For most, they are a favorite. Sweets contain glucose in varying amounts, which acts as fuel for the body. When you eat sweet foods, taste cells transmit a signal to the nervous system, as a result of which the hormones endorphin and serotonin begin to be produced. They make people happy.

Sour

Sour foods contain ascorbic acid. Thus, when a person wants such food, it is likely that there is not enough vitamin C in the body. Sometimes such taste preferences portend a cold that is starting. The main thing is not to overdo it, as sour food harms the digestive organs.

Salty

Many people cannot do without a salty taste, and often they are drawn to salty after sweets. Salt is an example of this taste. If you are drawn to everything to add salt, listen to yourself. Scientists were able to find out what this indicates an insufficient content of minerals.

bitter

The bitter taste is unpleasant among other tastes. It has poisonous and all kinds of toxic substances. The sensitivity in the taste buds (bulbs) of people is different, so various bitter substances are unbearable for some, while others normally perceive them. Scientists explained this by the fact that taste buds have the ability to evolve.

It is noteworthy that the bitter taste has a "reference bitterness" - this is the substance quinine, used to make drinks, including gin.

What is umami taste

If we know about the existence of bitter, salty and sour tastes, then few know about umami. It was discovered and recognized about 30 years ago in Japan. When experimenting with traditional cuisine, ingredients were discovered that give a spicy taste to dishes. It differs from all other known tastes, among which are sour, sweet, bitter and salty.

We will not delve into complex chemical reactions and processes, but note that the taste of umami depends on monosodium glutamate. So the enterprising Ikeda, who discovered the taste of umami, patented the manufacture of a flavor additive, which today is found in various products.

Describing its taste is not easy, but we will try. For example, dried mackerel, dried shiitake mushrooms or tomatoes have it. Umami by itself is not always pleasant, but in minimal concentration and in combination with other flavors, it becomes pleasant.

Interesting facts about tastes

So, today it is believed that a person perceives five tastes of different nature, and we have told you about them in detail. In addition, chemical reactions occur in our brain with combinations of tastes, but all this is very complicated. Finally, we offer interesting facts about the perception of tastes by the human body:

• Taste buds on the surface of the tongue have a short life span - no more than 10 days. After the expiration of the term, they die, and new ones appear in their place. This explains why we perceive the same taste differently over time.
• According to scientists, between 15 and 25% of people taste extremely sensitive due to the large number of taste buds on the tongue.
• The body perceives pure tastes equally, so there are no different types of sweet or sour tastes. Moreover, each of them is saturated or faded.
• The most sensitive receptors become at a food temperature in the range of 20-38 degrees.
• Taste preferences depend on the gender and age of the person. For example, girls like sweets, vegetables and fruits more, while boys prefer meat and fish, and they are most often indifferent to chocolate.

We hope we have answered your question, how many tastes a person's tongue distinguishes and what sensations this or that food will cause. Everything is quite complicated and even scientists have not found answers to all questions, but now you know the general principles.

It is believed that a person distinguishes either four or five elementary tastes: salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and one more, for which there is no Russian name. It is called "umami" and is attributed to the taste of monosodium glutamate. However, sometimes it is called "sweet", and food manufacturers believe that monosodium glutamate simply enhances the sensation of other tastes. If you believe the books about food, then there are not five, but many thousands of tastes - but culinary specialists do not mean elementary tastes, but combined ones. Recently, scientists have suspected that there are not five of them.

It turned out that the taste buds of rats react differently to various bitter substances. The bitter pathogen causes an increase in the concentration of calcium in the receptor cell, which induces the cell to secrete a transmitter (a chemical transmitter of impulses between nerve cells). To study this process, biologists A. Caisedo and S. Roper from the University of Miami (USA) introduced a fluorescent label into the taste cells of the rat tongue, which reacts to an increase in calcium levels. They then exposed the cells to various bitter compounds. It turned out that 66 percent of bitter-sensitive cells responded to only one compound, 27 percent to two, and 7 percent to more than two compounds.

This means that the taste buds that respond to different bitter substances are different, but we only have one name for "bitter". Or perhaps rats are simply better versed in the bitter side of life than humans.

What is taste made of?

Different substances may have a pure or mixed taste. The taste of all purely bitter substances is perceived by man in exactly the same way. So, solutions of opium, strychnine, morphine, quinine may differ from one another in the intensity of the feeling of bitterness they cause, but not in its quality. If, however, the intensity of sensation is equalized by taking the listed solutions in different concentrations, then they become indistinguishable. The same applies to sour tastes. Solutions of hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric, formic, oxalic, tartaric, citric and malic acids, taken in the appropriate dilution, are indistinguishable in taste. In the study of sweet substances, it was also found that there are no several types of sweet. Certain substances may have a more or less pronounced sweet taste, but if this taste is purely sweet, then their solutions cannot be distinguished from one another. Glucose, fructose, lactose, sucrose have a purely sweet taste. With regard to the salty taste, it has been proven that only one substance, common salt, has it in its pure form. All other brackish substances have a bitter or sour taste.

How do flavors mix? Sour and sweet substances can cause the sweet and sour sensation found in many varieties of apples or fruit drinks. An example of a sour-salty sensation is the taste of cucumber pickle. Bitter and sweet merge with difficulty, but bitter cocoa mixed with sugar causes a peculiar fused sensation, characteristic of chocolate. But the fusion of bitter with salty and especially bitter with sour does not occur at all. Mixtures of bitter and salty, bitter and sour substances are extremely unpleasant in taste.