Just Gustation

Gustation, or tasting, is the process by which chemical signals are changed into neural impulses via the tongue. Chemicals in food activate a certain type of sensory receptor known as a gustatory receptor. About 50 of these cells make up a single taste bud. Chemical molecules are mixed with saliva, then they enter the receptor cell through an opening called a taste pore. It then reaches the gustatory hairs which turn the chemical messages into neural impulses. The brain receives these impulses and perceives taste (33) .