1. TASTE COME TO YOUR SENSES

2. TASTE Taste depends on a pattern of responses. The brain determines what the tongue is tasting by comparing the responses of several kinds of taste neurons. Cranial nerves carry taste to the brain.

3. TASTE Taste information sent to the brain

4. TASTE Taste goes first to a structure in the medulla, and then to the pons, the lateral hypothalamus, the amygdale, part of the thalamus, and then to two areas of the cerebral cortex. One area is the somatosensorycortex, and this area responds to the touch aspects of tongue stimulation during taste. The other area is known as the insula, and it is the primary taste cortex.

5. TASTE People taste things differently. Some people are unable to taste a chemical called phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) for genetic reasons. Other people are supertasters, and they have a highly sensitive sense of taste. Supertasters tend to avoid strong-tasting or spicy foods. Also, different cultures have different food preferences.