12 Myths About The Human Body Debunked

At the turn of the 20th century, a paper was published that suggested the tongue may have different areas that taste different things: bitter, sweet, salty, and sour. Around 40 years later, a study at Harvard showed that this was not the case, but due to flawed methodology they reported very minute differences in areas that responded to a certain one of these tastes better. This was taken out of context and thus the tongue map was born. This has since been taught to school children worldwide.

If you haven’t worked out now by the theme of this list, or the 1942 Harvard paper, this is wrong.

Each taste bud on our tongue has dozens of receptors for the different tastes, meaning we can taste every flavour all across our tongue. Moreover, we are not limited to these tastes. Two extra things our taste buds are currently known to react to are umami (a more savoury flavour, such as what you taste other than salt with soy sauce, or with MSG), and CO2 (that taste you get when you drink a carbonated drink).

Nevertheless, there is some truth to a taste map in our bodies, though this is not a map of the tongue.

Our brains have specialised areas that respond to the different tastes, which can be seen in MRI scans. Even more, when these areas are stimulated in mice drinking plain water, this made it possible for them to taste whatever the researchers wanted them to, meaning that there is actually a brain map for tastes.

This is just for one of the five senses. But wait! Five senses? That doesn’t seem right.