Taste
Saltiness

Saltiness is a taste produced best by the presence of cations (such as Na, K or Li) and is directly detected by cation influx into glial like cells via leak channels causing depolarisation of the cell.

Other monovalent cations, e.g., ammonium, NH, and divalent cations of the alkali earth metal group of the periodic table, e.g., calcium, Ca, ions, in general, elicit a bitter rather than a salty taste even though they, too, can pass directly through ion channels in the tongue.
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