The Structure of the Tongue

What is the function of the tongue in the human body?

• The tongue helps us taste food and also helps in chewing, swallowing, and speaking.

• The tongue is only used for speaking.

• The tongue helps digest food in the stomach.

• The tongue produces saliva to break down food.

What are papillae?

• Papillae are large muscles inside the tongue.

• Papillae are tiny bumps on the tongue that contain taste buds.

• Papillae are the nerves that control the movement of the tongue.

• Papillae are found inside the stomach to help with digestion.

How many taste receptors are found in each taste bud?

• Each taste bud has no receptors and sends signals through the nerves system randomly.

• Each taste bud contains 1000 receptors.

• Each taste bud contains only 1 receptor which detects all basic tastes at once.

• Each taste bud contains 10 to 50 taste receptors.

Name the five basic tastes that taste receptors can detect.

• Warm, cool, spicy, sour, cold.

• Sugar, salt, chili, bitter, mint.

• Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami.

• Spicy, cold, sour, bitter, sweet.

What is monosodium glutamate (MSG), and how is it related to taste?

• MSG are used on baking cake, biscuits and sweet desserts such as Kuih Lapis, Kuih Talam, Kuih Seri Muka, etc.

• MSG is a flavor enhancer that makes food taste more savory (umami).

• MSG is a type of sugar that consist of glucose and fructose.

• MSG is used to remove flavors from food.

Why is saliva important in the tasting process?

• Saliva changes all food into a bitter taste.

• Saliva blocks the taste buds from detecting flavors and only relies on nerve impulses to detect basic tastes.

• Saliva has no effect on taste.

• Saliva helps dissolve food so the taste receptors can detect flavors.

What is umami, and what kinds of foods are associated with it?

• Umami is the taste of spicy food and can be found on Tom yum, Black pepper and Sambal Belacan.

• Umami is a savory taste found in meat, cheese, mushrooms, and foods with MSG.

• Umami is a mix of all tastes combined.

• Umami is found only in sweet fruits like grapes, apples and banana.

How do chemical substances from food stimulate taste receptors?

• The tongue absorbs the chemicals directly into the blood.

• The chemicals dissolve in saliva, enter the taste buds, and activate the taste receptors.

• The taste buds chew the food to release flavors.

• The food does not need saliva to activate taste receptors.

Explain the process of how taste is detected and sent to the brain.

• The brain guesses the taste of food without using the tongue.

• Food dissolves in saliva, stimulates taste receptors, creates nerve impulses, and sends signals to the brain.

• The stomach detects the taste and then informs the brain.

• The tongue produces its own flavors and sends them to the brain.

What role do nerve impulses play in taste perception?

• Nerve impulses send taste signals from the tongue to the brain through the taste bud.

• Nerve impulses create the taste in the mouth.

• Nerve impulses only work for spicy foods.

• Nerve impulses are not involved in taste perception and the taste bud sends the taste directly to the brain.