sweet

• Sweet substances (like sugar) dissolve in saliva and contact taste buds on the tongue.
• How the brain perceives sweet things

  1. Sweet substances dissolve in saliva

  2. Sweet molecules bind to specific receptors

  3. Binding activates a signaling pathway

  4. Activated pathway opens ion channels

  5. Depolarization triggers neurotransmitter release

  6. Neurotransmitters activate nearby sensory neurons

  7. Sensory neurons carry the signal to the brain

  8. Brain processes the signal

  9. You perceive the taste as sweet
• Binding

  Sweet molecules bind to specific receptors (T1R2 and T1R3) on taste receptor cells in the taste buds.
• Activation

  This binding activates a signaling pathway inside the taste receptor cell.
• Signal Cascade

  The activated pathway leads to the opening of ion channels (CA2+), causing the taste cell to become electrically charged (depolarized).
• Neurotransmitter Release

  Depolarization triggers the release of neurotransmitters from the taste receptor cell.
• Neuron Activation


  These neurotransmitters activate nearby sensory neurons.
• Signal Transmission

  The sensory neurons carry the signal to the brain.
• Brain Processing

  The brain processes the signal, identifying the sweet taste.
• Perception

  You perceive the taste as sweet.