| Bit into your favourite food, and immediately your | | | | been estimated that about 75 percent of what we |
| sense of taste is activated. But just how does this | | | | can taste is actually the result of what we smell. |
| amazing process work? | | | | Scientist have developed an electrochemical nose |
| Consider your tongue-as well as other parts of your | | | | that uses chemical gas sensors as an artificial |
| mouth and throat-includes clusters of skin cells called | | | | olfaction device. Nonetheless, neurophysiologist John |
| "taste buds." Many of which are located within papillae | | | | Kauer quoted in Research/Penn State notes: "Any |
| on the surface of the tongue. A taste bud contains | | | | artificial device is going to be extremely simplistic in |
| up to a hundred receptor cells, each of which can | | | | comparison to the biology, which is wonderfully |
| detect one of four types of taste-sour, salty, sweet. | | | | elegant and sophisticated." |
| Or bitter. Spicy is different category altogether. | | | | No one would deny that the sense of taste adds |
| Spices stimulate pain receptors-not taste buds! In any | | | | pleasure to a meal. Researchers are still baffled, |
| event, taste-receptor calls are connected to sensory | | | | though, by what causes people to favour one type |
| nerves that, when stimulated by chemicals in food, | | | | of taste over another. "Science have many of the |
| instantly transmitting signals to the lower brain stem. | | | | basics of the human body down, "say Science Daily, |
| Taste, however, involves more than your mouth. | | | | "but our sense of taste and smell are still somewhat |
| The five million odour receptors in your nose-which | | | | a mystery." |
| allows you to detect some 10,000 unique | | | | What do you think? Did your sense of taste come |
| odours-plays a vital role in the tasting process. It has | | | | about by chance? Or is this evidence of design? |