Smell and Taste Sanjana UndavalliMalikia SafforeCorey MinorDanielle GarciaJessica Barton

Essential Questions What is the process of smell? What are its uses? Common smell disorders?

Transduction Transduction: Transformation of one form of

energy to another. Especially the transformation of stimulus information into nerve signals by the sense organs. Without transduction, ripe tomatoes would not appear red.

Process of smell 1. Oder’s interact with receptor associated with

specialized hairs in the nose 2. The nerve cells associated with these hairs send

information about the stimulus to the brain olfactory bulb where smell is realized.

3. The olfactory bulb can be found underside the brain frontal lobe

4. Smell is the only signal that isn't relayed through the thalamus , suggesting that smell might have evolved earlier than the other senses.

Olfaction*: The sense of smell.

How Do We Use Smell? In humans olfaction has a connection with

memory. Certain perfumes can evoke certain memories.

Ex. Your wore the perfume Armani Code for Women on your prom night. A few months later when you smell the perfume at a store, you might think of your prom.

Originally, smell was probably used for detecting and locating food.

Smell remains as a major part of our survival since it lets us detect dangers.

In animals, smell is used for communication.

Insects, such as ants and termites communicate by secreting and detecting odorous signals called pheromones.

We use smell primarily to taste and sample food but there is evidence that we use pheromones to help us identify family members by smell.

Aromatherapy: A type of alternative medicine that uses essential oils and other aromatic plant compounds, which are aimed at improving a person’s health or mood.

Pheromones: chemical signals released by organisms to communicate with other members of their species.

Common Smell Disorders Anosmic: The absences of the sense of

smell caused by damage to the olfactory nasal tissue or nerve or by obstruction of the nasal passage

Hyposmia: A reduce ability to smell and detect odors caused by allergies, viral infections or head trauma

Essential Questions Process of taste? 4 basic taste sensations? Type of tasters

Process of Taste1. Taste receptor cells are gathered in

taste buds located on the top and side of tongue.

2. The receptors include small mucous-membrane projections called papillae.

3. Microvilli: very sensitive microscopic hairs on your taste buds. These tiny hairs send messages to the brain about how something tastes, so you know if it's sweet, sour, bitter, or salty.

4. Taste is realized in somatosensory cortex.

Taste Infants have a heightened sense of

taste but taste decreases with age. Taste receptors can be easily damaged

by alcohol, smoke, acids, or hot foods.

Fortunately the gustatory receptors are frequently replaced and because of this it is very rare to completely lose your sense of taste.

What Type of Taster Are You? Supertasters: Those with more taste buds for

bitter flavors. Have a survival advantage because most poisons are bitter.

Nontasters: Those who are more sensitive than regular tasters.

Common Taste Disorders Hypogeusia: Reduced ability to taste

sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami.

Ageusia: Complete lost of the ability to taste.

Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

WavjbJhiRAE (smell and taste) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRm

wis_HF-M (App allows you to smell and taste)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkeqt84MeZc (Ansomia)