These two senses of the body function as powerful allies of the digestive system. Taste involves the perception of dissolved chemical substances arriving, for example, in the form of food. Taste sensation is principally seated on the upper surface of the tongue, and saliva is a fundamental ingredient for dissolving and tasting. Smell involves the perception of these chemicals when they take the form of dispersed aromas. The sense of smell operates at a greater distance than that of taste and can capture substances floating in the environment. It is thought that smell is some 10,000 times more sensitive than any of our other senses.

There are olfactory cells responsible for these two senses. These are located deep in the nasal cavity, extended over the so - called olfactory epithelium. It is calculated that some 25 million cells are located there. Their useful life is on average, 30 days, after which they are replaced by new cells. They have a dual function. One end of each olfactory receptor is connected to the olfactory bulb and transmits the sensations it records, so that the bulb is able to send the nerve impulses to the brain with the necessary information. The other end terminates in a group of cilia, or microscopic hairs, which serve a protective function within the mucosa.

The tongue is the principal seat of the sense of taste. It has great mobility at the bottom of the mouth and contains between 5,000 and 12,000 gustatory papillae. Each of these papillae has approximately 50 sensory cells, which have an average life span of 10 days. The salivary glands are activated by the ingestion of food or just before ingestion. They generate an alkaline liquid called saliva, a chemical solvent that, together with the tongue, breaks down the substances of which food is composed and makes it possible to differentiate between them by taste. The tongue takes charge of perceiving these tastes via the fungiform papillae, which give the tongue its rough appearance.

There are four flavours that the surface of the tongue can distinguish: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Taste centre is the area of the brain that receives information from the tongue. An interesting fact is that there are 10,000 odours the sense of smell can distinguish.

Have you ever think about your these two senses. Isn't these amazing? Thank you for reading and supporting. Have a great day ahead!