
Concept explainers
Watch this video (http://openstaxcollege.org/l/DanielleReed) to learn about Dr. Danielle Reed of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, PA, who became interested in science at an early age because of her sensory experiences. She recognized that her sense of taste was unique compared with other people she knew. Now, she studies the genetic differences between people and their sensitivities to taste stimuli. In the video, there is a brief image of a person sticking out their tongue, which has been covered with a colored dye. This is how Dr. Reed is able to visualize and count papillae on the surface of the tongue. People fall into two large groups known as “tasters” and “non-tasters” on the basis of the density of papillae on their tongue, which also indicates the number of taste buds. Non-tasters can taste food, but they are not as sensitive to certain tastes, such as bitterness. Dr. Reed discovered that she is a non-taster, which explains why she perceived bitterness differently than other people she knew. Are you very sensitive to tastes? Can you see any similarities among the members of your family?

To analyze:
Whether I am sensitive to taste and look for similarities among my family members.
Introduction:
The people sensitive taste possess more taste buds on their tongue compared to insensitive people. The sense of bitterness is one parameter that identifies one as a taste sensitive people.
Explanation of Solution
The taste buds are spread throughout the tongue surface. However, they are more concentrated on the posterior end of the tongue. This region is specific to bitter taste. Thus people with a higher density of taste buds are more sensitive to bitter taste. They can identify this taste more efficiently and quickly than others. Moreover, the glossopharyngeal and facial nerves carry stimuli of taste from two-thirds of the anterior surface of the tongue. The vagus nerve innervates the posterior end of the tongue sensitive to bitterness. Thus this difference in stimuli transmission to the brain specifically identifies the bitter taste and makes some people sensitive to this taste.
I am not sensitive to taste as bitter substances are equally palatable for me as other tastes. Most of my family members share this trait with me.
Bitterness sensitivity is one parameter to identify someone as sensitive to taste. This is due to presence of more number of taste buds on the anterior end of the tongue corresponding to bitter taste stimuli.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 14 Solutions
Anatomy & Physiology
Additional Science Textbook Solutions
Biology: Life on Earth (11th Edition)
Genetic Analysis: An Integrated Approach (3rd Edition)
Human Anatomy & Physiology (2nd Edition)
Campbell Essential Biology (7th Edition)
Microbiology: An Introduction
Anatomy & Physiology (6th Edition)
- 4.arrow_forward2arrow_forward1. 2. 3. Marine fish cells are hypotonic compared to their seawater environment; their cells lose water by osmosis and gain solutes. If you add heterotrophic respiration and autotrophic respiration together and then subtract that value from gross primary productivity, then you have a more refined estimate of ecosystem carbon storage than NEE. Differential heating due to the earth's tilt generates the global wind AND oceanic circulation patternsarrow_forward
- KD 200- 116- 66- Vec ATF6 (670) ATF6 (402) ATF6 (373) ATF6 (366) I I 45- 1 2 3 4 5 ATFG (360) (e/c) 9V ATFG (402) g ant- ATF anti-KDEL DAPI barrow_forwardWestern blot results: what information can you get? Presence of proteins of your interest Levels of protein expression Levels of protein activation (must use activation state-specific antibody) Decreased function of the ATM kinase in aging mice. A C57BL/6 female 6 month Con IR 20 month C57BL/6 male 6 month 28 month Con IR Con IR Con IR p-ATM (S1981) ATM P-p53 (ser18) Actinarrow_forwardDoes it show the level of proteins? What about the amount? Levels of protein activation? How can you tell? Does the thickness tell you anything? What about the number of the lines?arrow_forward
- Anatomy & PhysiologyBiologyISBN:9781938168130Author:Kelly A. Young, James A. Wise, Peter DeSaix, Dean H. Kruse, Brandon Poe, Eddie Johnson, Jody E. Johnson, Oksana Korol, J. Gordon Betts, Mark WomblePublisher:OpenStax College
- Human Biology (MindTap Course List)BiologyISBN:9781305112100Author:Cecie Starr, Beverly McMillanPublisher:Cengage LearningBiology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap...BiologyISBN:9781305073951Author:Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa StarrPublisher:Cengage LearningBiology (MindTap Course List)BiologyISBN:9781337392938Author:Eldra Solomon, Charles Martin, Diana W. Martin, Linda R. BergPublisher:Cengage Learning



