Gustatory system facts for kids
The gustatory system is the sensory system for the sense of taste.
Function
The human body can be stimulated by certain things. This stimuli is measured by sensory receptors and the energy is converted to something our brain can understand. There are receptors in our tongue which can measure four main things.
Salt
This is the simplest receptor found in the mouth.
Sour
Sour tastes are usually received from acidic compounds.
Bitter
Bitter tastes are important, since poisons are usually bitter and therefore we need to know whether or not to spit a bitter food out. This is the most complicated receptor found in the mouth.
Sweet
Food which has a lot of carbohydrates such as glucose are sweet.
Images for kids
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This diagram linearly (unless otherwise mentioned) tracks the projections of all known structures that allow for taste to their relevant endpoints in the human brain.
See also
In Spanish: Gusto para niños
