"A certain part of the tongue helps to take a certain taste." - This false information is very common among us.
The tongue is divided into 3 to 4 parts based on the presence of test buds and test receptors in the high school science textbook Tongue Map.
The information is spread somewhere like this there are different types of taste buds in different parts of the tongue. For example: the front of the tongue has sweet, the last part has sour and the two sides have taste buds and receptors of salty and bitter taste.
Somewhere it is said, "Sweet / salty on the front of the tongue, sour on both sides, bitter on the back. We don't get any special taste in the middle of the tongue as there is no taste in the middle." 😵😝
(This is what is written on page 48 of the 6th grade science book. See the evidence in the picture)
No, this information is incorrect.
It is a myth that has been around for over a century. In fact different parts of the tongue
(Front / back / two sides of tongue) can detect different tastes simultaneously; No particular part of the tongue detects a particular taste.
Moreover, it has been said that there is no test bud or taste cork in the middle of the tongue, which is another lie. Test buds are scattered all over the tongue.
And not just the tongue,
Test buds are also found on the soft palate on the upper side of the tongue and on the neck.
[1]
Each part of the tongue has a mixture of different taste buds or test buds. People can enjoy all kinds of tastes in all parts of the tongue.
However, the presence of test buds may be more or less present from one part of the tongue to another [1] and the same test bud may be present in different amounts in different parts of the tongue, hence the taste may also vary. There may be differences in the function and density of test buds in different people.
For example, there is no difference between boys and girls in terms of sensitivity to sweet taste, but women are a little more sensitive to sour taste in front of the tongue than boys.
[2], [3]
We have about 6,000 test buds all over our tongues [1] so that different types of test receptor cells capable of taking different types of tests are in a mixed state.
(See image of Test Bud)
That is, no specific test bud and test receptor are located in any specific part of the tongue; Instead, different types of test buds and different types of test receptors are scattered throughout the tongue, in a mixed state. This means that no particular part of the tongue receives any particular type of taste; Rather different parts of the tongue are able to absorb different types of taste. [1], [3], [4] [5]
Also, fake information is supposed to give a salty taste on the front or side of the tongue, but if you put salt on the back of the tongue or on any side of the tongue, you will notice that there is a salty taste on all sides.
Moreover if you put a little sugar on the back of your tongue you will get a sweet taste there too; You should not get any sweet taste in the fake information. (Now put salt in different parts of the tongue and verify the truth of the word.)
#bcb_myth_busting
(I'm bringing some more rumors / myths up front)
References:
[1] https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20171012-do-our-tongues-have-different-taste-zones
[2]
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12132625/
[3]
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/health/11real.html?_r=1
[4]
https://www.livescience.com/7113-tongue-map-tasteless-myth-debunked.html
[5]
Wonderful written brother