A woman drinks a cup of hot tea, and burns her tongue. This incident briefly affects her ability to taste certain foods. The absence of taste is MOST likely the result of the:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The microvilli of taste buds directly interact with the chemicals in food to create the sensation of taste. Damage to the microvilli would therefore affect the woman's ability to taste certain foods. Damage to supporting cells, axons, or olfactory sensory neurons would not directly affect taste.

A Woman Drinks a Cup of Hot Tea, and Burns