Taste sensillum

Generally, the taste sensillum contains only small numbers of receptor neurons for fundamental tastes. Hence, the taste sensillum might not be suitable for perception of CHC pheromones that contain many components. For such multi-component pheromone perception, olfactory sensilla with many receptor neurons might be more suitable, even though CHC contact pheromones are non-volatile in most cases. 

In order to make precise kinetic measurements of the relationship between the strength of stimulus and the magnitude of response in each receptor neuron, it is necessary to use adequate stimuli for the targeting receptor neuron. For example, a taste sensillum of flies houses four functionally differentiated chemoreceptor neurons corresponding to insect fundamental tastes sugar, salt, water and bitter taste receptor neurons. These four receptor neurons, when stimulated by adequate stimuli, generate distinguishable impulses by their... 

Bernays, E. A., Chapman, R. F. and Hartmann, T. (2002). A highly sensitive taste receptor cell for pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the lateral galeal sensillum of a polyphagous caterpillar, Estigmene acrea. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 188 715-723. 

I.I. Gustatory (Taste) Receptors. One of the examples of taste receptors is the contact chemoreceptors (taste hairs) of insects. These receptor cells send fine dendrites (the extensions of the cell body) to the tips of hollow hairlike projections of the cuticle, called sensilla. Each sensillum has a minute pore that provides access for stimulant molecules to the sensory cells (Figure 41). The sensillum contains several cells, each of which is sensitive to a different chemical stimulus (e.g., water, cations, anions, carbohydrates). Upon intereac-tion with such chemical substances, the receptor potential is produced at the end of the dendrites that extend to the tip of the sensillum, whereas the action potentials originate near the cell body. 

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