Final answer:
The statement regarding sensory adaptation in taste is false, as the sense of taste does indeed undergo sensory adaptation. The hair-like endings of taste buds generate nerve impulses to the brain, which is how we perceive taste.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'The sense of taste does not undergo sensory adaptation' is false. Sensory adaptation does occur in the sense of taste, similar to other senses like smell and hearing. When you eat or drink something with a strong flavor, your taste receptors will at first send strong signals to the brain, but as time passes the intensity of the flavor seems to decrease as your taste buds undergo sensory adaptation.
In the functioning of human taste, the correct answer to how the sense of taste works is: d. The hair-like endings of taste buds generate nerve impulses to the brain. Taste buds are indeed covered in papillae, but it is the taste receptor cells within the taste buds that are stimulated by chemicals in food. This reaction generates an action potential, resulting in nerve impulses that are carried to the brain.
Taste and Age
It is noteworthy that both tasting abilities and the sense of smell change with age, with a decline typically starting around age 50. A strong flavor to a child may become bland to an elderly person due to this decline in sensory perception.