Which receptors detect taste?

Which receptors detect taste?

• A. Nociceptors
• B. Chemoreceptors
• C. Mechanoreceptors
• D. Thermoreceptors

Answer: (B)

Taste is detected through chemical signals: taste receptor cells in taste buds respond to dissolved tastants in saliva, making them chemoreceptors. When food molecules mingle with saliva, they bind to receptors or influence ion channels on these cells, creating a receptor potential and triggering neurotransmitter release to gustatory nerve fibers. This chemical sensing is what defines taste reception. Other receptor types handle different sensations: nociceptors detect pain and harmful stimuli, mechanoreceptors sense touch and pressure, and thermoreceptors detect temperature changes. Since taste hinges on chemical stimuli, chemoreceptors are the correct descriptor.

Taste is detected through chemical signals: taste receptor cells in taste buds respond to dissolved tastants in saliva, making them chemoreceptors. When food molecules mingle with saliva, they bind to receptors or influence ion channels on these cells, creating a receptor potential and triggering neurotransmitter release to gustatory nerve fibers. This chemical sensing is what defines taste reception. Other receptor types handle different sensations: nociceptors detect pain and harmful stimuli, mechanoreceptors sense touch and pressure, and thermoreceptors detect temperature changes. Since taste hinges on chemical stimuli, chemoreceptors are the correct descriptor.