Not Only on Tongue: Scientists Found Previously Unknown Receptors in the Mouth Cavity

For a long time, taste receptors were believed to reside in the tongue's bundles. These special sensory cells detect chemical compounds in your food and, depending on their type, send signals through the nerves to your brain, resulting in the test sensation.

However, a recent study from Penn Dental Medicine (a subsidiary of the University of Pennsylvania) revealed that taste receptors are also located in different places in our body.

So where can we find them?

As it turns out, bitter taste receptors are located in the nose, lungs, trachea, and gums, where they additionally provide protective functions in the mouth cavity against periodontosis — one of the most dangerous gum diseases. Once they detect a pathogenic bacteria, they start to produce antimicrobial peptides, eliminating dangerous microorganisms.

Also, scientists found odor-detecting receptors (they have similarities in physiological structure to taste receptors) located on neurons in the dental pulp. When these sensors catch an eugenol molecule – an odor compound from the cloves – they numb the teeth.

Marco Tizzano, a leading scientist on the team, said that researchers will try to find a way to use receptor stimulation in medical approaches. For instance, these discoveries may help to create novel pain-relieving procedures or antimicrobial therapies involving the triggering of taste or odor receptors.