Question

If you were forced to give up the sense of taste, what would giving up that sense mean for your every day life? What would giving up that sense mean for your ability to survive in the wild (if you had to)? Lastly, what specific physical structures either in the sense organ itself, the pathway to the brain or the brain could be damaged that would result in the sense you picked not functioning?

Answer 1

Taste is one of the five classic senses, which is related to the gustatory perception. When something is put in the mouth, that substance reacts chemically with the taste receptor present on the taste buds or papillae on the tongue and oral cavity to produce a sensation. This it the sense of taste. Sweetness, bitterness, saltiness, sourness and umami are the five traditional tastes, which are detected by the taste buds. Taste is strongly related to the sense of smell. Taste perception starts to diminish, when a person reaches the age of 50. Taste sense can also dysfunction due to the damage or blockade in the nose, brain or nervous system. Taking some medications can also lead to the temporary loss of taste. The loss of sensation of taste is termed as 'Aguesia'.

We all take the sense of taste for granted. The hardships one has to endure when the taste sense is lost, only becomes clear when one is bereft of it . If one is forced to forego the sense of taste, he/she has to face many complications in daily life:

1. Absence of the sense of taste will result in eating too much or too little.  

2. The danger of consuming spoiled food. Constantly depending on others to find out whether the food is spoiled or fit for consumption.

3. Loss of appetitie leading to weight loss, weakness and irritation.

4. Eating food forcefully without perceiving the taste becomes an ordeal as the pleasure of eating different kinds of food lies in its taste.  

5. Aversion to food.

6. Decreased quality of life. Lack of interest at social gatherings like parties, as one is not able to enjoy food.

Surviving in the wild is not an easy task. But if one is stranded in the wild without the sense of taste, it would be an extra handicap. In the wild surviving on the plants, fruits and flesh of animals is the only option. If one is not able to taste, it can be easy to eat the plants, flesh or fish raw, as all seem tasteless. In normal circumstances, eating raw plants and flesh is very unpleasant and almost impossible. But there is also a huge danger of consuming poisonous fruits or plants as the inherent pungency or bitterness of the poisonous things cannot be detected. Also one may tend to drink contaminated or poisonous water.  As the sense of smell and taste are related, one might not be able to detect smoke in case of any wildfire and thus life will be risk.

When the sensory taste cells present in the oral cavity, lining of the throat and the papillae or taste buds on the tongue sense a distinct substance, they decipher and transmit the message to the three specialized cranial nerves and the trigeminal nerve nearby, which carry the message to the brain and combine them with the messages of smell, to create a sense of taste. Any obstruction or disorders in these channels that carry message to brain leads to this disorder. Heavy smoking, head or neck cancer, head injuries, respiratory or middle ear infections, poor dental or oral hygiene all contribute to the loss of sense of taste.

The sense of taste is one of the senses which caters to us personally. Eating is a favorite activity of almost everybody. Many cultures are known for their traditional cuisines. Loss of sense of taste makes one's life very insipid because food, not only provides nutrition, but also pleasure. A person with loss of the sense of taste should not lose hope, as nowadays there are many medical treatments available for the loss of sense of taste.