Page 263 - (DK) I Can’t Believe It! 2

TRUE OR FALSE? 261

FAST FACTS

How is
a human
tongue like
an elephant’s
trunk? 80% OF THE
FLAVOR
SENSATION
WE GET FROM FOOD COMES
FROM ITS SMELL
The nose can detect more than one trillion
different odors, but when it is blocked
food becomes almost flavorless. Try eating
something while holding your nose shut. Food
will be almost tasteless.
WOMEN’S
SENSE

Some foods leave a OF SMELL
bad taste in the mouth. IS STRONGER
Sour and bitter tastes THAN MEN’S
can just be intense
flavors or a sign
that food is unripe Not only have women shown
or even poisonous. that they can smell better than
men; their sense of taste is
stronger too. Women are also
better at finding the words to describe
Overly salty food what they are smelling and tasting.
on the tongue will
activate the brain
to quench the
thirst with fluid.
THE MOUTH HAS
It was first believed that the four ONE MILLION
basic tastes—sweet, sour, salty,
and bitter—were detected by only TASTE RECEPTOR CELLS
certain parts of the tongue. Now
we know that the whole tongue works to
respond to every taste entering the mouth.
One extra taste has now been recognized. There are up to 100 of these specialized cells in
each of the taste buds. Tiny taste “hairs”
This is umami, the savory, meaty taste in soy attached to each receptor cell detect taste
sauce, mushrooms, meat, and cheese. molecules dissolved in saliva. Receptor cells
then send messages to the brain, which
identifies tastes in food.

US_260_261_309600_Taste_and_smell.indd 261 19/12/17 3:48 pm