does smell affect taste ?
Yes! The olfactory system has a huge impact on the interpretation of gustatory information. Similar to taste, smell is a chemical sense that uses chemoreceptors that are stimulated by various molecules to further send electrical impulses to the brain. As opposed to having taste buds to detect food molecules, within the mucus lining of the nose there are is a small paste of sensory cells that is found on the roof of the nose. In a similar manner that food binds to taste bud receptors, odorants (which are air born molecules) bind to the sensory neurons in the nose. As a result of the depolarization of a channel, axons then carry these stimulations to the olfactory cortex and bulbs of the brain. Before the food being eaten is sent to the limbic system that decides the emotional state and memory of the food, all the information from the somasensory complex (texture), gustatory complex (taste) and olfactory complex (smell) must be gathered. Consequently, the flavor of a food is only slightly influenced by what is perceived by the taste buds. If the food smells extremely bad, then it most likely tastes just as bad, and vice versa. This concept can also be supported by the evidence that food does not have much of a taste when you plug your nose. Overall, the greater the volatility of the food, meaning the greater the number of air born molecules present, the greater the number of chemical molecules that will be interpreted by the nose, thus contributing to a stronger smell. Last but not least, the more soluble the food molecules are in either fat or water, leads to a stronger smell because the molecules are easily dissolved into their compounds and thus more readily are detected by receptors.
why do some people detest foods that other people love ?
Compared to each other, we all have different favourite foods for two different reasons. The first reason, is that some people are considered to be super-tasters, while others are considered to be sub-tasters. To be exact, 75% of sub-tasters while the remaining 25% are those with an extra sensitive palate. People with a significantly greater amount of taste buds on their tongue are considered to be supertasters. As great as it sounds, supertasters commonly fin common foods to be either way too sweet, bitter, salty, sour or umami. Studies were completed with different types of medicine and chemical molecules found within medicine. Majority of the population found phenylthiocarbamide (bottom left) and 6-n-propylthiouracilto (bottom right), two compounds found in thyroid medicine, to have little taste, whereas certain individuals found them to be unbearably bitter. Thus, supertasters tend to prefer the mild tasting foods, as opposed to subtasters who desire those with a stronger taste. However, there is not always a definite classification. Therefore everyone has a different sensitivity to different tastes, so we all perceive the same food a little differently. The second reason, is that the flavour of foods depends a lots on how our brain reads the, and the interpretation of foods from their texture, temperature and smell as well. Overall, approximately 1000 different genes contribute to the interpretations of these senses. Therefore because we all have different genes and a different number of genes expressed, our gustatory and contributing systems all vary a considerable amount. As a result, allowing for each an everyone of us to decode the chemistry of foods differently.
Take a look at this video for a better understanding.
Take a look at this video for a better understanding.
what are some common taste disorders ?
There are three different types of taste disorders; Ageusia, which is the complete loss of taste, hypogeusia, which is the partial loss of taste and dysgeusia, which is the distortion of taste.
Ageusia is the lesser common taste disorder of the three main disorders. It is defined as the inability to differentiate the fives tastes, sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. People may be born with this problem or, it can be acquired through neurological and endocrinal problems. In regards to a chemistry perspective, the consumption of toxic substances to the body may interfere with the function of the taste buds. For example, if you were to constantly be using tobacco which is composed of over four thousand dangerous chemicals, some of them including cyanide, benzene, formaldehyde, methanol, acetylene and ammonia have very harmful effects on taste receptors and ion channels. Overuse and exposure to the chemicals can cause receptors cites to clog and also act as inhibitors for ion channels by preventing depolarization to occur and in turn preventing an action potential from being created. Furthermore, the chemicals have the ability to react with the receptor sites themselves, as well as with secondary messengers in the taste buds to that would consequently prevent the further generation of other messengers that are needed to carry out the stimulation. The chemical reactions of many chemicals with the receptors can permanently distort the taste bud, thus leaving it dysfunctional.
As can be noted, the use of drugs is what primarily causes these disorders. Drugs accomplish this by changing the chemical composition of the saliva after entering the mouth, or affecting the physical gustatory system, including the receptors that the chemicals bind to.
Here is a list of drugs that are commonly found to be responsible for taste disorders.
"1. Anitbiotics: Cyclofoxacin, levofloxacin, metronidaxole, ethionamide, oflaxin
2. Antivirals: Acyclovir, zidovudine
3. NSAIDS: Etodolac, Ketoprofen
4. Disulfiram: Drugs used for alcohol detoxification
5. General Anesthetics: Midazolam, propofol
6. Local Anesthetics: Lidocaine transoral
7. Antacids: Aluminum Hydroxide, calcium carbonate
8. Anticholinergics: Mepenzolate
9. Anticonvulsants: Phenytoin
10. Antidepressants: Amitryptyline, fluoxetine
11. Antidiabetics: Metformin
12. Cardiovasular Drugs: Amlodipine, captopril, clonidine
13. Vitamins: Calcitriol, dihydrotachysterol" ("Drugs causing Taste Disorders – Hypogeusia, Ageusia, Dysgeusia.")
Ageusia is the lesser common taste disorder of the three main disorders. It is defined as the inability to differentiate the fives tastes, sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. People may be born with this problem or, it can be acquired through neurological and endocrinal problems. In regards to a chemistry perspective, the consumption of toxic substances to the body may interfere with the function of the taste buds. For example, if you were to constantly be using tobacco which is composed of over four thousand dangerous chemicals, some of them including cyanide, benzene, formaldehyde, methanol, acetylene and ammonia have very harmful effects on taste receptors and ion channels. Overuse and exposure to the chemicals can cause receptors cites to clog and also act as inhibitors for ion channels by preventing depolarization to occur and in turn preventing an action potential from being created. Furthermore, the chemicals have the ability to react with the receptor sites themselves, as well as with secondary messengers in the taste buds to that would consequently prevent the further generation of other messengers that are needed to carry out the stimulation. The chemical reactions of many chemicals with the receptors can permanently distort the taste bud, thus leaving it dysfunctional.
As can be noted, the use of drugs is what primarily causes these disorders. Drugs accomplish this by changing the chemical composition of the saliva after entering the mouth, or affecting the physical gustatory system, including the receptors that the chemicals bind to.
Here is a list of drugs that are commonly found to be responsible for taste disorders.
"1. Anitbiotics: Cyclofoxacin, levofloxacin, metronidaxole, ethionamide, oflaxin
2. Antivirals: Acyclovir, zidovudine
3. NSAIDS: Etodolac, Ketoprofen
4. Disulfiram: Drugs used for alcohol detoxification
5. General Anesthetics: Midazolam, propofol
6. Local Anesthetics: Lidocaine transoral
7. Antacids: Aluminum Hydroxide, calcium carbonate
8. Anticholinergics: Mepenzolate
9. Anticonvulsants: Phenytoin
10. Antidepressants: Amitryptyline, fluoxetine
11. Antidiabetics: Metformin
12. Cardiovasular Drugs: Amlodipine, captopril, clonidine
13. Vitamins: Calcitriol, dihydrotachysterol" ("Drugs causing Taste Disorders – Hypogeusia, Ageusia, Dysgeusia.")