ABSTRACT

Finding the right kinds of food, and in sufficient quantity, is one of the most basic behaviors an animal must accomplish to survive. The sense of taste is a vital component in that process: for all animals, chemicals must be detected, encoded in the central nervous system, and processed, and finally, the neural signals must be acted upon. At higher levels, tastes must be remembered and recognized to prevent us from accidentally eating something harmful or unpleasant. For insects, the sense of taste underlies a range of specific behavior patterns, such as egg-laying and avoidance movements. Yet despite its critical importance in the everyday life of all animals, we know surprisingly little of how different chemosensory cues are encoded within the central nervous system.