what exactly is taste? Just like vibration or light, what does a thing have or lack to determine taste and how do we process it?
In: 111
It’s the detection of chemicals. Smell works the same way. Basically, certain shapes of molecules will attach to certain receptors on your tastebuds (or in your nose) and that triggers a nerve that tells your brain which receptor went off, and your brain interprets that as a taste.
It’s not perfect, though. Certain lead compounds can taste sweet, which is why children sometimes eat lead paint chips, they taste it, and it’s sweet, so they eat more. This is because the lead compound has a similar shape to that of sugars that would normally trigger those receptors. Artificial sweeteners work the same way, just without the lead.
Latest Answers