AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Abstract. Perception of the flavour of foods is a complex process that involves the senses of smell and taste, and chemesthesis (the common chemical sense; also called pungency or irritation).

Detailed explanation-2: -Flavour results primarily from the combination of three discrete senses: taste, somatosensation and olfaction. In contrast to this scientific description, most people seem unaware that olfaction is involved in flavour perception.

Detailed explanation-3: -Chemoreceptors play a major role in the senses of taste and smell. All chemoreceptors are stimulated by the presence of chemicals.

Detailed explanation-4: -The perception of a smell occurs when substances in the air pass through the nose and stimulate the olfactory (smell) nerve. The experience of taste, or gustation, occurs when the taste buds in your mouth respond to substances dissolved in saliva. The four basic tastes are salty, sweet, sour and bitter.

Detailed explanation-5: -Ultimately, messages about taste and smell converge, allowing us to detect the flavors of food. Taste and smell are separate senses with their own receptor organs, yet they are intimately entwined. Tastants, chemicals in foods, are detected by taste buds, which consist of special sensory cells.