One symptom of zinc deficiency is that it can easily lead to hyperplasia and incomplete keratinization of the oral mucosa, which makes it prone to sloughing. Large amounts of sloughed epithelial cells (i.e., tongue coating) can cover and block the taste pore in the papillae of the tongue, thus affecting appetite. In recent years, reduced appetite has been considered as one of the early signs of zinc deficiency in infants and young children. The actual manifestations include: