Taste is detected by the taste buds’ connection to the brain via nerve cells, which signal the sensation of sour, salt, sweet, bitter and savory.
Taste buds themselves are clusters of between 50 and 150 taste receptor cells. They are globular with an opening called a taste pore at the top. Each of them waits for food molecules of a certain type to enter the taste bud.
People vary in their sensitivity to different taste. Sensitivity depends on the length of time allowed to taste a substance.
Sweet and salt tastes are detected quickly in less than a second, because they are detected primarily on the tip of the tongue; in addition, they are usually very soluble compounds; whereas bitter taste are detected mainly by taste buds at the back of the tongue.
Sensitivity to a particular taste also depends on the concentrations of the substance for the taste.
Another factor affecting taste is the temperature of food. A food or beverage temperatures go below 20° C or above 30° C, it becomes harder to distinguish their taste accurately.
Other factors influencing taste include the color of the food; the time of day it is eaten and the age, gender and degree of hunger of the taster.
Food taste
