Final answer:
Taste receptors, or gustatory receptors, detect different tastes through different mechanisms, while olfactory receptors detect specific odorants. Taste receptors are found in taste buds on the tongue, while olfactory receptors are located in the nasal mucosa. Both types of receptors send signals to the brain for processing.
Step-by-step explanation:
Taste receptors, also known as gustatory receptors, are found in taste buds on the tongue. These receptors detect different tastes, such as sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, through various mechanisms. For example, sour tastes trigger a change in ion channels, while sweet, bitter, and umami tastes require a G-protein coupled receptor. When these receptors bind to tastants, they excite specialized neurons associated with each taste.
Olfactory receptors, on the other hand, are responsible for detecting odors. Odorants dissolve in the nasal mucosa and excite the corresponding olfactory sensory cells. The signals from these cells travel to the main olfactory bulb and then to other locations in the brain, including the olfactory cortex. Like taste receptors, olfactory receptors are specific to particular odorants and each respond to only one odorant.