Deck 15: Gustation: Perceiving Tastes and Flavors

Question 1

In individual humans, the majority of taste buds are found on the:

A) tongue.
B) epiglottis.
C) upper esophagus.
D) soft palate.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Potassium chloride stimulates _____ taste.

A) sweet
B) sour
C) salty
D) umami

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The basic taste qualities that are associated with nutritive needs are:

A) sweet, sour, and bitter.
B) sour, umami, and bitter.
C) salty, sweet, and umami.
D) bitter and sour.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

_____ is a basic taste evoked by tastants such as MSG and certain amino acids found in meats and generally signals the presence of protein in food.

A) Bitter
B) Salty
C) Sour
D) Umami

Question 5

In the context of taste perception, tastants:

A) are tiny mushroom-shaped structures.
B) dissolve in saliva and help in the production of neural signals.
C) release serotonin at their synapse with cranial nerve fibers.
D) are collectively known as the common chemical sense.

Question 6

On St. Patrick's Day, a local bagel shop prepared green-colored bagels. According to the studies based on flavor perception, people will MOST likely:

A) perceive its flavor to be the same as plain bagels that are not dyed green.
B) expect an appealing sound when biting into the green-colored bagel.
C) incorrectly identify the bagel to have a spinach flavor.
D) experience a tingling sensation in the mouth.

Question 7

How many taste receptor cells are contained in each taste bud?

A) 3,000-12,000
B) 1-4
C) 40-100
D) 1-2 million

Question 8

The mouth contains only 8-12 _____ papillae that are situated in a row at the back of the tongue.

A) fungiform
B) foliate
C) circumvallate
D) filiform

Question 9

The _____ taste quality warns an individual of toxic or inedible substances.

A) mildly sweet
B) strongly bitter
C) salty
D) umami

Question 10

Which statement about taste receptor cells is FALSE?

A) They are elongated neurons, packed within taste buds.
B) They last for about a week and are then replaced.
C) They transduce odorants into neural signals.
D) They are of two types.

Question 11

Transduction of salty and sour tastants is initiated in the:

A) receptor cells.
B) presynaptic cells.
C) amygdala.
D) hypothalamus.

Question 12

_____ papillae are small ridge like folds located on the sides of the tongue near the back.

A) Fungiform
B) Foliate
C) Circumvallate
D) Filiform

Question 13

The tingling sensation produced by _____ contributes to flavor via the trigeminal sense.

A) candies
B) brussels sprouts
C) potato chips
D) carbonated beverages

Question 14

The trigeminal sense:

A) signals the presence of irritants in the mouth.
B) regulates blood pressure and blood volume.
C) facilitates normal functioning of the brain.
D) signals the presence of protein in food.

Question 15

_____ papillae are tiny mushroom-shaped structures located along the edges and top of the front two-thirds of the tongue.

A) Fungiform
B) Foliate
C) Circumvallate
D) Filiform

Question 16

The total sensory experience evoked by ingesting something is called:

A) taste.
B) flavor.
C) olfaction.
D) audition.

Question 17

Tastants are transduced into neural signals by the:

A) amygdala.
B) taste receptor cells.
C) orbitofrontal cortex.
D) hypothalamus.

Question 18

Quinine stimulates _____ taste.

A) bitter
B) sour
C) salty
D) umami

Question 19

In the context of perception of flavor, headonics refers to the degree to which:

A) chemothesis signals the presence of irritants.
B) flavorful food makes an appealing sound while biting.
C) flavorful food looks appetizing.
D) a taste is pleasant or unpleasant.

Question 20

In the context of trigeminal sense, "mouth feel" of food does NOT include factors such as:

A) temperature (cold to hot).
B) sweetness (as from sucrose).
C) spiciness (as from chili peppers).
D) coolness (as from mint).

Question 21

Which pairing constitutes the primary taste cortex?

A) the anterior insular cortex and the frontal operculum
B) the nucleus of the solitary tract and the hypothalamus
C) the ventral posterior medial nucleus of the thalamus and the hypothalamus
D) the orbitofrontal cortex and the amygdala

Question 22

Neurons in the primary taste cortex do NOT respond to signals containing information about:

A) temperature.
B) fattiness.
C) viscosity.
D) odorants.

Question 23

The diversity of T2Rs reflects that the mammalian taste system has evolved in such a manner that:

A) an audible crunch makes food taste crisper and fresher.
B) food that looks appetizing seems especially flavorful.
C) all toxic substances taste bitter.
D) the trigeminal sense signals the presence of irritants in the mouth.

Question 24

The FIRST step in cell-to-cell signaling is the:

A) reception of taste signals by the cortical neurons.
B) stimulation of cranial nerve fibers within the taste bud.
C) release of adenosine triphosphate by the receptor cells.
D) release of serotonin by the presynaptic cells.

Question 25

A study was conducted by Brochet and Morrot (1999) in which knowledgeable wine students were asked to describe the flavor of wines poured from two different bottles. One bottle was labeled as a basic table wine and the other as a high-end grand cru wine. The two wines were identical and only the bottles differed. During this study, the students:

A) preferred the basic table wine.
B) preferred the high-end wine.
C) had no specific preferences.
D) realized that the wines were identical.

Question 26

Taste signals from the ventral posterior medial nucleus of thalamus travel first to the:

A) orbitofrontal cortex.
B) hypothalamus.
C) amygdala.
D) primary taste cortex.

Question 27

The epithelial sodium channel is used as a mechanism for the transduction of:

A) sodium ions in relatively low concentrations.
B) a wide variety of sodium ions in aversively high concentrations.
C) molecules from amino acids and proteins.
D) citric acid and acetic acid containing hydrogen ions.

Question 28

Signals from receptor cells to presynaptic cells cause the release of neurotransmitters in a way that carries information about sweet, umami, and bitter tastants. This is termed as:

A) labeled-line modeling.
B) across-fiber pattern modeling.
C) cell-to-cell signaling.
D) metabolic signaling.

Question 29

Neural signals that originate in the taste receptor cells and are transmitted via three cranial nerves travel first to the:

A) orbitofrontal cortex.
B) nucleus of the solitary tract.
C) ventral posterior medial nucleus of the thalamus.
D) primary taste cortex.

Question 30

Experiments with knockout mice confirm that mice lacking the T1R2 receptor CANNOT:

A) taste sweet.
B) taste bitter.
C) signal the presence of irritants in the mouth.
D) signal the presence of protein in food.

Question 31

James was having spaghetti for dinner. After a while, he told his mother that he was too full and could not eat anymore. However, he ate a piece of cake. This illustrates:

A) cross-adaptation.
B) adaptation.
C) metabolic signaling.
D) sensory-specific satiety.

Question 32

_____ tastants are transduced by receptor cells containing a category of GPCRs known as the T2Rs.

A) Sweet
B) Sour
C) Umami
D) Bitter

Question 33

According to the study conducted by Plasssman et al. (2008), a group of participants sipped wine while their brain activity was being recorded using fMRI. In one condition, they were told that the wine cost $10 a bottle; in another condition, they were told it cost $90. The same wine was served in both conditions. According to the results, brain activity in the:

A) orbitofrontal cortex increased more quickly in response to the $90 wine.
B) orbitofrontal cortex did not differ between the two wines.
C) primary taste cortex increased more quickly in response to the $90 wine.
D) primary taste cortex decreased in response to the $90 wine.

Question 34

_____ proposes that each cranial nerve fiber carries signals with information about just one of the five taste qualities, and the cortical neurons on the receiving end of these signals also respond only to information about a single type of tastant.

A) Labeled-line modeling
B) Across-fiber pattern modeling
C) Cell-to-cell signaling
D) Metabolic signaling

Question 35

The orbitofrontal cortex represents:

A) hunger.
B) emotion.
C) the taste quality of food.
D) the reward value of food.

Question 36

_____ proposes that each cranial nerve fiber carries signals from multiple taste receptor types and that the cortical neurons receiving these signals are broadly tuned to respond to signals carrying information about multiple types of tastants.

A) Labeled-line modeling
B) Across-fiber pattern modeling
C) Cell-to-cell signaling
D) Metabolic signaling

Question 37

Mario eats a chocolate donut and then gulps down a glass of lemonade. The drink tastes somewhat sour. This is an example of:

A) adaptation.
B) cross-adaptation.
C) sensory-specific satiety.
D) metabolic signaling.

Question 38

_____ tastant molecules are transduced by receptor cells that contain T1R1-T1R3 receptor pairs.

A) Sweet
B) Sour
C) Umami
D) Bitter

Question 39

Regan is sucking on a piece of strawberry-flavored hard candy. After a minute, its sweetness reduces. This is an example of:

A) adaptation.
B) cross-adaptation.
C) sensory-specific satiety.
D) metabolic signaling.

Question 40

The primary taste cortex represents:

A) hunger.
B) emotion.
C) the taste quality of food.
D) the reward value of food.

Question 41

Explain the difference between the labeled-line model and the across-fiber pattern model. Which model seems to have more support based on studies?

Question 42

Supertasters would MOST likely enjoy:

A) kale.
B) brussels sprouts.
C) carrots.
D) spinach.

Question 43

_____ could have the beneficial effect of ensuring that one's diet contains a variety of foods that would help avoid nutritional deficiencies associated with a limited diet.

A) Filiform papillae
B) Cell-to-cell signaling
C) Sensory-specific satiety
D) Labeled-line modeling

Question 44

Individuals who have the PAV version of the gene that codes for a specific receptor (T2R38) and can detect propylthiouracil (PROP) at low concentrations are called:

A) nontasters.
B) tasters.
C) supertasters.
D) cross-adaptors.

Question 45

Individuals who have the AVI version of the gene that codes for a specific receptor (T2R38) and require much higher concentrations to detect the bitter substances are called:

A) nontasters.
B) tasters.
C) supertasters.
D) cross-adaptors.

Question 46

Which statement about supertasters is FALSE?

A) They have twice as many fungiform papillae as nontasters.
B) An estimated 75% of people worldwide are supertasters.
C) They are more sensitive to certain bitter tastants than nontasters are.
D) Women are more likely to be supertasters than men.

Question 47

_____ is a reduction in appetite for food.

A) Adaptation
B) Satiety
C) Cross-adaptation
D) Olfaction

Question 48

Which statement is NOT true of artificial sweeteners?

A) They help people reduce their caloric intake.
B) They lower blood glucose levels.
C) They are not as effective as sucrose in satisfying the desire for ingesting sweet substances.
D) They signal the presence of protein in food.

Question 49

How do receptor cells communicate to the brain about the presence of sweet, umami, and bitter tastants they transduce, given that receptor cells do not have synapses with cranial nerve fibers?

Question 50

Differentiate between tasters, supertasters, and nontasters.

Question 51

During a study, researchers used fMRI to record the brain activity of chocolate cravers and noncravers. Explain how the study shows that individual differences are related to taste preferences.

Question 52

Describe how the neural signals originating in taste receptor cells in taste buds are transmitted to the brain.

Question 53

When TV chef Ina Garten prepares a party dip, she usually garnishes it with the main ingredient to improve its appearance. How does this help to make it an effective presentation?

Question 54

In the context of individual differences in taste and flavor perception, phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and propylthiouracil (PROP) taste:

A) sweet.
B) salty.
C) bitter.
D) sour.

Question 55

In an experiment, knockout mice without the ability to taste sweetness were conditioned over a period of six days. On the first day, they were allowed to sip from a sugar-water spout placed on one side of the chamber. On the second day, they were allowed to sip from a plain-water spout placed on the other side of the chamber. After the six days of conditioning, both spouts were made available again. The spouts delivered only plain water. The mice exhibited a strong preference for the spout that had previously delivered the sugar water. This implies that the mice had:

A) learned to recognize and prefer the nutritious sugar water.
B) developed the PAV version of a gene used to code for a specific taste receptor.
C) developed the AVI version of a gene used to code for a specific taste receptor.
D) regained their ability to detect sweet flavors.

Question 56

What is sensory-specific satiety, and how does it help in avoiding nutritional deficiencies associated with a limited diet?

Question 57

Artificial sweeteners:

A) help people lose weight.
B) lower blood glucose levels.
C) signal the presence of protein in food.
D) activate the primary taste cortex and orbitofrontal cortex more than sugar does.

Question 58

What are knockout mice? What has been learned about the role of different G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) in taste perception by studying knockout mice?

Question 59

Tina is planning to revise the price list for the cocktails served at her restaurant. Her friend, Thomas, suggests that she should serve the cocktail at $50 instead of $15. This would increase the expectations of the guests and enhance its flavor perception. Explain if the findings on cognitive influences in the OFC support this statement.

Question 60

Supertasters would MOST likely dislike:

A) beer.
B) lemonade.
C) milk.
D) water.

Question 61

Do you think that an eMouth, a robotic mouth, could be invented that would be capable of experiencing flavors as people do? What problems would have to be addressed in creating eMouth?