smaksignal

Smaksignal is a term used to describe the neural and physiological signal that conveys information about taste from the oral sensory cells to the brain. The word combines smak, meaning taste in several Nordic languages, with signal, and in English usage the term is uncommon; it is more often described as gustatory signaling or taste transduction.

Peripheral transduction occurs when tastants activate receptors on taste receptor cells within taste buds. Different modalities use distinct mechanisms: sweet, umami, and bitter tastes involve G protein–coupled receptors; salty taste is detected by amiloride-sensitive sodium channels; and sour taste is associated with proton-sensitive channels. Activation of these receptors leads to depolarization and neurotransmitter release onto afferent nerve fibers.

Afferent pathways carry taste information from the taste buds through cranial nerves VII (anterior tongue), IX (posterior tongue), and X (pharyngeal regions) to the nucleus of the solitary tract in the brainstem. From there, signals project to the ventroposterior medial nucleus of the thalamus and onward to the gustatory cortex, primarily in the insula and frontal operculum, where taste is integrated with olfactory and somatosensory inputs to form the sense of flavor.

Function and significance extend beyond basic discrimination to hedonic evaluation and dietary decision-making. Smaksignal can be influenced by attention, expectation, hormonal state, and prior experience, and disruptions can contribute to taste disorders such as ageusia, hypogeusia, or dysgeusia, affecting nutrition and quality of life.

See also: gustation, chemosensation, flavor perception.