Question

Taste buds for sweet taste are situated at ______ of the tongue.

• A. Base
• B. Tip
• C. Sides
• D. Back

Hint:

A simple mnemonic for the tongue map from front to back is "Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter" (S-S-S-B). Since sweet is the first "S", it sits at the very front or tip.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
This question asks for the specific location on the tongue where taste receptors for sweetness are most concentrated, according to the traditional "tongue map."
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

• Tongue Mapping Tradition: Although modern research has shown that all five basic tastes can be detected by receptors all over the tongue, the classic "Tongue Map" model is still widely referenced. This theory assigns specific primary tastes to distinct regions of the tongue.
  
• Sweet Receptors: According to this traditional map, the receptors that are most sensitive to sweet tastes (like sugars) are concentrated at the very front, or "tip," of the tongue.
  
• Other Taste Locations: The same map places sensitivity to salt on the front sides of the tongue, sour on the back sides, and bitter at the very back or base. The location for bitter taste at the back is thought to help trigger a gag reflex to expel potentially toxic substances.
  
• Biological Mechanism: Taste buds, which contain the gustatory receptor cells, are located within the papillae on the tongue's surface. When chemicals from food dissolve in saliva, they come into contact with these receptors, which then transmit signals to the brain.
  
• Evolutionary Perspective: The placement of sweet receptors at the tip of the tongue may have been an evolutionary advantage, allowing our ancestors to quickly identify energy-dense, safe foods like fruits.
  

Step 3: Final Answer:
Based on the standard biological tongue map, the tip of the tongue is considered the primary region for detecting sweet tastes.

Answer 2

According to the traditional tongue map used in basic physiology, different regions of the tongue are assigned peak sensitivity to different basic tastes. Testing each option against that map settles the question.

1. Base: The base, the back-most part of the tongue, is traditionally associated with bitter taste, which is useful because bitterness often signals a toxic or spoiled substance right before it would be swallowed.
2. Tip: The tip, the very front of the tongue that food touches first, is traditionally mapped to sweet taste. This placement makes physiological sense too, the tongue's front detects a sugar-rich, energy-dense food immediately on contact.
3. Sides: The sides of the tongue are split between the front sides (salty) and back sides (sour) in the traditional map, neither of which is sweet.
4. Back: The back of the tongue, similar to the base, is grouped with bitter sensitivity rather than sweet.

Out of the four regions, only the front tip is where sweet-sensitive taste buds are traditionally described as being concentrated.

Therefore, the correct answer is Tip.