Gustatory nerve responses in the chicken

Abstract

Multiunit neural activity was recorded from the lingual branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve of ten chickens following chemical, thermal, or mechanical stimulation of the tongue. Ferric chloride and sucrose octa-acetate (SOA) gave responses at low concentrations, while sugars were effective only at or above 0.5 m. In half the chickens, 24 C water gave large magnitude responses (exceeding all solutions), and at 38 C, responses to Ringer's solution were 0.6 of those to water. In the other chickens, 24 C water did not produce large responses, and Ringer's gave responses equal to water. Chicken taste preference behavior is discussed in relation to the neural response to ferric chloride, sucrose octa-acetate, and sugars.