The tongue map or taste map is a

common misconception Each entry on this list of common misconceptions is worded as a correction; the misconceptions themselves are implied rather than stated. These entries are concise summaries of the main subject articles, which can be consulted for more detail. ...

that different sections of the

tongue The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by taste ...

are exclusively responsible for different

basic taste The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). Taste is the perception produced or stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor ...

s. It is illustrated with a schematic map of the tongue, with certain parts of the tongue labeled for each taste. Although widely taught in schools, this has been scientifically disproved by later research; all taste sensations come from all regions of the tongue, although different parts are more sensitive to certain tastes.

History

The theory behind this map originated from a paper written by Harvard psychologist Dirk P. Hänig, which was a translation of a German paper, '' Zur Psychophysik des Geschmackssinnes'', which was written in 1901. The unclear representation of data in the earlier paper suggested that each part of the tongue tastes exactly one basic taste. The paper showed minute differences in threshold detection levels across the tongue, but these differences were later taken out of context and the minute difference in threshold sensitivity was misconstrued in textbooks as a difference in sensation.The Chemotopic Organization of Taste
wwwalt.med-rz.uni-sb.de While some parts of the tongue may be able to detect a taste before the others do, all parts are equally capable of conveying the

qualia In philosophy of mind, qualia ( or ; singular form: quale) are defined as individual instances of subjective, conscious experience. The term ''qualia'' derives from the Latin neuter plural form (''qualia'') of the Latin adjective '' quālis'' () ...

of all tastes. Threshold sensitivity may differ across the tongue, but intensity of sensation does not. The same paper included a taste bud distribution diagram that showed a "taste belt". In 1974, Virginia Collings investigated the topic again, and confirmed that all the tastes exist on all parts of the tongue.

Taste belt

The misinterpreted diagram that sparked this myth shows human taste buds distributed in a "taste belt" along the inside of the tongue. Prior to this, A. Hoffmann had concluded in 1875 that the dorsal center of the human tongue has practically no

fungiform papillae Lingual papillae (singular papilla) are small structures on the upper surface of the tongue that give it its characteristic rough texture. The four types of papillae on the human tongue have different structures and are accordingly classified as c ...

and taste buds, and it was this finding that the diagram describes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tongue Map Misconceptions Gustation Tongue