Bitter Taste Receptors

About 30 genes encode receptor molecules that bind various bitter substances.

Different alleles of each of these genes influence whether something tastes bitter.

A diagram showing a bitter chemical interacting with a taste receptor molecule on a taste receptor cell. The cell then forms a synapse with a neuron.
A bitter tasting chemical interacts with a bitter taste receptor on the taste receptor cell surface. The taste receptor cell forms a synapse with a nerve that sends electrical signals to the brain where bitter taste is perceived.