MCELLBI C61 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Taste Receptor, Cranial Nerves, Microvillus
17 May 2020
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Document Summary
The receptor cells that begin the process of gustation, taste, are located mainly on the tongue, with a few on the upper palate and the pharynx. They"re grouped into ~10k clusters called taste buds, each one containing ~100 cells. This means we have ~1 million taste receptor cells in our mouth. Respond to molecules entering the mouth, most often those of food and drink. There"s a pore exposing the receptor cells to the interior of the mouth, where saliva dissolves the molecular components of food and drink and swishes them about. The ends of the receptor cells are composed of microvilli, lamentous structures that increase the surface area exposed to tasty substances. Microvilli are smaller than cilia and have a cytoskeleton structure consisting largely of actin, while cilia have one organized around microtubules. Within the membrane of the microvilli are taste receptor proteins. The bulk of a gustatory receptor cell consists of a cell body w a nucleus, mitochondria, etc.
