Type I cell

a type of taste cell that is electron dense, appearing dark when viewed by electron microscopy. Type I cells comprise about 60% of the cells in a taste bud. Located peripherally in the bud, they may help hold its goblet shape. Each cell sends a spray of 30 to 40 microvilli through the taste pore to sample the chemical environment. Also called dark cell.

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Psychology term of the day

March 18th 2025

glucostatic theory

the theory that short-term regulation of food intake is governed by the rate of glucose metabolism (i.e., utilization) rather than by overall blood levels of glucose. See also lipostatic hypothesis. [proposed in the 1950s by French-born U.S. nutritionist Jean Mayer (1924–1993)]