Gustation, The Act or Sensation of Tasting

Abstract

This chapter on taste starts with a trivial pursuit to approach the difficulty of the definition of taste with the consequence that the four tastes that are normally discerned should rather be considered a continuum of tastes. Attention is paid to the transmission of the taste signal, both its physiological and neuroanatomical aspects. Taste changes during pregnancy, diseases are treated, and clove, oregano and chilli are discussed. Taste is related to tongue reflexes and mechanics. Taste receptors are even found in the pharynx and start of the larynx. The chapter ends with the taste manipulations.