Taste

Related Topics Smell Diet and Lifestyle Body Systems
Image of a cartoon character jumping in the air with fire coming out of its mouth after eating a spicy food.
The Science of Spiciness
When you take a bite of a hot pepper, your body reacts as if your mouth is on fire -- because that's essentially what you've told your brain!
  • TED
  • 4 min.
The Senses — A Primer (Part II)
Although sensory systems share basic features of organization, each is uniquely designed to respond to a particular aspect of the world.
  • The Dana Foundation
The Senses — A Primer (Part I)
Through complex systems that begin with cells that respond to physical stimuli and send signals through a maze of brain circuits, we can know — both consciously and otherwise — what goes on around us and within our bodies.
  • The Dana Foundation
Synesthesia
Imagine hearing a bird chirp and seeing the color yellow. This is what life may be like for someone with synesthesia. Explore the unique experiences of a synesthete and learn more about this rare condition.
  • BrainFacts/SfN
  • 5 min
What is a Supertaster?
Learn why some people experience taste more intensely than other people in this video excerpt from NOVA scienceNOW.
  • Teachers' Domain
Savory Science: Jelly Bean Taste Test
Find out what the nose knows and the mouth leaves out in this experiment.
  • Scientific American
Super-Tasting Science: Find Out If You're a "Supertaster"!
Supertasters sense food's flavor more strongly than most. Check your tongue for clues about your tasting tendencies!
  • Scientific American
Sour Science: Do Sour Taste Preferences Change with Age?
If you developed a super-sour food, to whom would you try to sell it?
  • Scientific American
Brain and Behavior Lesson Plan
Students are introduced to brain structure, neurotransmitters, hormones, and neural networks in this nine part lesson.
  • Baylor College of Medicine
The Biology of Picky Eating
Everyone knows a picky eater — a former classmate of mine ate only cereal, pasta and milk — but why does picky eating exist?
  • BrainFacts/SfN
Cockroach Taste System Evolves to Evade Exterminators
Cockroaches are quickly evolving to avoid precisely the yummy, sweet-tasting poisoned baits that I was using to keep them out of my kitchen.
  • BrainFacts/SfN
Yes, I'll have some dessert
Why and how we overeat
An Ocean of Sensations
The brain receives information about the outside world via the senses. But how much of this information do we actually notice?
  • BrainFacts/SfN

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