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All senses are not created equal

Because the chemosenses are complex mechanisms, there are several reasons why people have varying preferences for smells and tastes. A person's genetics (physiological makeup), upbringing, and familiarity with specific smells and foods can influence his or her likes and dislikes.

Odor molecules transmit their signals to areas of the brain that are involved with emotional behavior and memory. When a person smells something, it often brings back memories associated with the object, and those memories can help shape a person's perception of that smell.

Genetics is also a factor in tasting ability. In the early 1930s researchers discovered an inherited trait that determined people's sensitivity to a bitter taste. They classified people as "tasters" or "nontasters" based on whether they were able to detect a specific chemical, which tastes bitter to some people and...

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1. Introduction
2. How taste works
3. Smells at work: Lime or lemon?
4. All senses are not created equal
5. Experiment 1 - Supertasters: Is there a correlation between the number of taste buds and taste perception?
6. Experiment 2 - Smell and Taste: How does smell affect the sense of taste?
7. Design Your Own Experiment