Anatomical aspects of the development of the sense of taste in humans

Abstract

The specific objectives of this thesis were (1) develop a rapid and portable method to quantify fungiform papillae on the anterior tongue of children and adults, (2) determine how fungiform papillae density changes through childhood to adulthood, (3) determine whether a particular region of the tongue is a reliable predictor of the fungiform papillae density of the anterior tongue, (4) validate the earlier work of others in quantification of fungiform papillae in small regions of the anterior tongue, (5) develop a non-invasive method for counting papillae, and (6) determine whether chronic renal failure (CRF) affects fungiform papillae density. The study demonstrated that there were differences in fungiform papillae characteristics in children and adults and that a digital camera provides a convenient tool for achieving these findings. Children aged 11-12 years had similar fungiform papillae densities and predictor areas as adults and it was concluded that fungiform papillae maturity was reached at this age. The results also identified the best predictor of fungiform papillae density for children and adults. Additionally, the methods used by other earlier studies were validated, and the results demonstrated that small tip regions of the anterior tongue were suitable indicators of fungiform papillae density. Importantly, a non-staining method was developed to count papillae and the new method was used in a clinical setting, where it was shown that, patients with CRF had significantly lower fungiform papillae densities than their clinical controls. Overall, the results indicate that a digital camera provides a simple and convenient means for conducting anatomical studies on the anterior tongue of humans both in the laboratory and clinical settings.

Date of Award	2016
Original language	English