The Five Senses

There are between five and twenty-one senses depending on your definition of a sense. The five basic senses that everyone can generally agree upon are touch, smell, sight, and hearing. The sense I was assigned to research is taste. The sense organ associated with taste is the tongue. The Lingual Papillae, Sulcus Termanalis, Tonsils, Adenoids and Frenulum Linguae are the main parts of the tongue. The Superior Longitudinal, Inferior Longitudinal, Transverse and Vertical muscles are the Intrinsic Muscles. The Genioglossus, Hypoglossus, Styloglossus and Palatoglossus muscles are the Extrinsic Muscles. The Chorda Tympani Nerve, Glosso-Pharyngeal Nerve and the Vagus Nerve are all nerves of the tongue. Each part of the tongue has its own unique function. The Papillae contain taste buds, which help us identify the different tastes of the food we eat. Foliate, Vallate and Fungiform Papillae have the taste buds that help identify taste. Filiform Papillae help grip the food and keep it in place while eating. The Sulcus Terminalis divides the tongue into two halves. The Lingual and Palatine tonsils both help filter germs. The Adenoids help fight infection. The Frenulum Linguae secures the tongue in place …show more content…
Treatment depends solely on each individual case. If it is caused by an allergy or infection, your doctor may prescribe a medication to clear up your condition and return your ability to taste. Ageusia that is caused by aging is permanent making treatment minimal and limited to teaching coping strategies. In the event that it is caused by heavy smoking or drinking, the doctor would advise the patient to cut back on how much they are smoking and/or drinking during the day. If there is an endocrine or neurological problem, the physician will treat the underlying causes in hopes that the ability to taste will return. Lastly, if it is caused by medication, the doctor will most likely change the medication if