Podcast
Questions and Answers
What are the small, round bumps on the tongue called?
What are the small, round bumps on the tongue called?
What happens to the chemicals in the food we eat?
What happens to the chemicals in the food we eat?
How many flavors can our tongue sense?
How many flavors can our tongue sense?
Why does our body avoid food with strong bitter or sour tastes?
Why does our body avoid food with strong bitter or sour tastes?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the purpose of our sense of taste?
What is the purpose of our sense of taste?
Signup and view all the answers
How many taste buds do we have in our mouth?
How many taste buds do we have in our mouth?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a flavor?
What is a flavor?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a common characteristic of all acids?
What is a common characteristic of all acids?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the purpose of hydrochloric acid in the stomach?
What is the purpose of hydrochloric acid in the stomach?
Signup and view all the answers
What is acetic acid commonly found in?
What is acetic acid commonly found in?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the effect of sodium hydroxide on the skin?
What is the effect of sodium hydroxide on the skin?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the purpose of acid-base indicators?
What is the purpose of acid-base indicators?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the effect of a base on red litmus paper?
What is the effect of a base on red litmus paper?
Signup and view all the answers
What are neutral substances?
What are neutral substances?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the purpose of pH?
What is the purpose of pH?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Tasting and Sense of Taste
- Our tongue has small, round bumps called papillae, which contain taste buds.
- Taste buds have sensitive hairs that detect chemicals in food, which are dissolved in saliva.
- These chemicals stimulate the hairs, sending signals to the brain, allowing us to experience the sensation of taste.
- We have over 10,000 taste buds in our mouth, including on the roof of our mouth.
- Our tongue can only sense four flavors: sweet, sour, salt, and bitter.
Sense of Taste for Protection
- Our sense of taste protects us from poisoning by helping us avoid food with strong bitter or sour tastes.
- "Bitter" is the basic taste that our tongues are most sensitive to.
- Spoiled food often tastes sour and has a bad smell, which helps us avoid it.
Properties of Acids
- Acids have common properties, including:
- Tasting sour
- Feeling rough between fingers
- Being corrosive
- Making bases lose their basic character
- Turning blue litmus red
- Examples of acids include orange juice, vinegar, lemon juice, citric acid, and gastric acid.
Laboratory Acids and Safe Acids
- Concentrated hydrochloric acid is very corrosive and dangerous.
- Laboratory acids must be handled carefully.
- Our stomach contains hydrochloric acid (HCl), which helps break down food for digestion.
- Not all acids are corrosive or dangerous, e.g., ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and acetic acid (found in vinegar).
Properties of Bases
- Bases have common properties, including:
- Tasting bitter
- Feeling slippery between fingers
- Being corrosive
- Making acids lose their acidic character
- Turning red litmus blue
- Examples of bases include baking soda, soap, bleach, and ammonia solution.
Laboratory Bases and Neutral Substances
- Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a strong base used in laboratories.
- Neutral substances are neither acids nor bases, and examples include water, table salt, sugar solution, and cooking oil.
pH and Acid-Base Indicators
- pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of a substance.
- Acid-base indicators are substances that change color when an acid or a base is added to them.
- Litmus paper is an example of an acid-base indicator, and it changes color depending on whether it's in an acid, base, or neutral substance.
Litmus Test
- Red litmus paper stays red in an acid or neutral substance, and turns blue in a base.
- Blue litmus paper stays blue in a neutral substance or base, and turns red in an acid.
- The litmus test helps determine whether a substance is an acid or a base.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Learn how our sense of taste works, including the role of papillae and taste buds on the tongue. Discover how chemicals in food interact with our saliva to allow us to experience flavors.
