Smakstimuli

Smakstimuli is a term used to describe gustatory stimuli—chemical compounds that activate taste receptor cells in taste buds and produce taste sensations. Common modalities include sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami; many foods combine several tastes, and some researchers also discuss fat taste or other chemesthetic sensations that accompany irritation or cooling.

Most tastants reach receptor cells in taste buds located on the tongue and other parts of the oral cavity. Tastants interact with molecular receptors on taste receptor cells: sweet and umami use G protein–coupled receptors of the T1R family; bitter uses T2R receptors; salty and sour generally involve ion channels. Activation triggers signaling that communicates with afferent fibers carried by cranial nerves VII, IX, and X to brainstem regions, then to the thalamus and gustatory cortex. The neural coding of taste combines qualitative identification of the taste with the perceived intensity, and remains an active area of research.

Perception of smakstimuli is influenced by concentration, temperature, pH, and the presence of other tastants. Trigeminal chemesthesis, including temperature, pungency, and astringency, can modify taste experiences. Psychophysical methods measure detection and recognition thresholds, magnitude estimation, and other aspects of taste dynamics. In food science and neuroscience, smakstimuli are used to study flavor profiles, nutrition, and eating behavior.

Note: the term smakstimuli is less common in English literature; taste or gustatory stimuli are the standard terms.