smakområden

Smakområden, or taste areas, refer to the concept that different regions of the human tongue are specialized in detecting different basic tastes. This theory suggests that the tip of the tongue is most sensitive to sweet tastes, the sides to sour tastes, the back to bitter tastes, and the front sides to salty tastes. The umami taste is generally detected across the tongue.

This concept was first proposed by David P. Hänig in 1901 and later popularized by Edwin G. Boring in a 1942 textbook. However, modern scientific research has largely debunked this strict localization theory. Contemporary studies show that all taste buds across the tongue can detect all five basic tastes, though some areas may have slightly higher sensitivity to certain tastes.

The taste buds, which contain taste receptor cells, are actually located within taste papillae across the entire tongue surface. When these receptors interact with molecules from food, they send signals through the facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagus nerves to the brain, which then processes the taste information.

While the strict tongue map is considered inaccurate, it remains a commonly taught concept and is useful for introducing basic taste perception to students.