Belecky T L, Smith D V
Department of Otolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45267-0528.
J Comp Neurol. 1990 Mar 22;293(4):646-54. doi: 10.1002/cne.902930409.
Mammalian taste buds are distributed within several distinct subpopulations, innervated by branches of three cranial nerves. These taste bud populations originate and mature at different times in various mammalian species and are thought to play differential roles in the control of taste-mediated behaviors. The hamster is a common animal for the electrophysiological study of the gustatory system, and it has been shown that taste buds innervated by the IXth nerve develop postnatally in this species. To delineate further the development of the gustatory system of hamsters, we quantified the number of taste buds appearing on the palatal, nasopharyngeal, and laryngeal epithelium from birth through 120 days of age. Taste buds are present in almost adult numbers on the soft palate at birth, but only 39% of these are mature. Distinct taste pores, indicative of mature taste buds, increase in number until about 20-30 days of life, at which time all of the taste buds on the soft palate and on the nasoincisive papillae are fully developed. Taste buds are concentrated primarily on the posterior and medial portions of the soft palate. Taste buds located on the laryngeal surface of the epiglottis and the aryepiglottal folds are absent at birth and originate and mature over the following 120 days. Laryngeal taste buds are more concentrated on the aryepiglottal folds than on the epiglottis. On the soft palate and in the epiglottal region, the maturation of taste buds is well characterized by a logarithmic function (Y = a log X + B) relating the number of mature taste buds to postnatal age. On the soft palate, the length of the taste buds from base to apex correlates with the thickness of the epithelium, which increases with development. The diameter of mature taste buds on the soft palate does not change with age. In contrast to many mammalian species, in rodents taste bud development occurs mostly after birth. Rapid postnatal development progresses at a time when ingestive behavior is undergoing a number of significant changes. Taste buds in the larynx have been implicated in a number of laryngeal reflexes (i.e., apnea, swallowing) in several nonrodent species. The electrophysiological properties of superior laryngeal nerve fibers would suggest a similar function for epiglottal taste buds in the hamster.
哺乳动物的味蕾分布在几个不同的亚群中，由三条颅神经的分支支配。这些味蕾群体在不同的哺乳动物物种中在不同时间起源和成熟，并且被认为在味觉介导行为的控制中发挥不同的作用。仓鼠是用于味觉系统电生理研究的常见动物，并且已经表明在该物种中，由第九神经支配的味蕾在出生后发育。为了进一步描绘仓鼠味觉系统的发育情况，我们对从出生到120日龄的腭、鼻咽和喉上皮上出现的味蕾数量进行了量化。出生时软腭上的味蕾数量几乎达到成年水平，但其中只有39%是成熟的。指示成熟味蕾的明显味孔数量增加，直到大约20 - 30日龄，此时软腭和鼻切牙乳头处的所有味蕾都已完全发育。味蕾主要集中在软腭的后部和内侧部分。会厌和杓会厌襞喉表面的味蕾在出生时不存在，在接下来的120天内起源并成熟。喉味蕾在杓会厌襞上比在会厌上更集中。在软腭和会厌区域，味蕾的成熟可以很好地用对数函数（Y = a log X + B）来描述，该函数将成熟味蕾的数量与出生后年龄相关联。在软腭上，味蕾从基部到顶端的长度与上皮厚度相关，上皮厚度随着发育而增加。软腭上成熟味蕾的直径不随年龄变化。与许多哺乳动物物种不同，在啮齿动物中味蕾发育大多在出生后发生。出生后快速发育发生在摄食行为正在经历许多重大变化的时期。在一些非啮齿动物物种中，喉中的味蕾与许多喉反射（即呼吸暂停、吞咽）有关。喉上神经纤维的电生理特性表明仓鼠会厌味蕾具有类似的功能。
