New findings in smell and taste
... the Flame on Your Tongue with Pharmacology - The spicy hot sensation from peppers is due to a chemical, capsaicin, which activates a receptor in your tongue. In studies using mice, Scientists at Redpoint Bio Corp have used antagonists of the receptor to abolish the aversive response to capsaicin. This is...UC Davis researchers discover key to body's ability to detect subtle temperature changes
...e acclimate to hot climates to how they respond to spicy food based on the understanding that there are many more kinds of channels involved," Zheng said....Tarantula venom and chili peppers target same pain sensor
... in mice that sense high temperatures and the hot, spicy ingredient in chili peppers, UCSF scientists have discovered. The findings demonstrate that some plants and animals have evolved the same molecular strategy to deter predators -- triggering pain by activating a specific receptor on sensory nerves. Th...Nose odors and mouth odors: The brain distinguishes
...ke the 'taste' of a wine, because of its fruity or spicy notes. However, gustation refers only to the sensations of sweet, sour, salty, savory, and bitter, and thus the pleasant 'taste' to which we refer is actually a pleasant odor sensed retronasally." "The role of olfaction in taste is powerful," they sa...Vampires beware: Scripps scientists describe molecular basis of raw garlic's pungency
...ed as cold. But TRP channels also detect spicy foods as well. Various TRP channels will be activated by chemicals like capsaicin and cinnamaldehyde, the respective active ingredients in chili peppers and cinnamon sticks, and then they will communicate this information to the brain through the spi...