MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Smell and taste are closely linked. The taste buds of the tongue identify taste, and the nerves in the nose identify smell. Both sensations are communicated to the brain, which integrates the information so that flavors can be recognized and appreciated.

Detailed explanation-2: -Taste (gustation) and smell (olfaction) are called chemical senses because both have sensory receptors that respond to molecules in the food we eat or in the air we breathe. There is a pronounced interaction between our chemical senses.

Detailed explanation-3: -Our sense of smell in responsible for about 80% of what we taste. Without our sense of smell, our sense of taste is limited to only five distinct sensations: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and the newly discovered “umami” or savory sensation. All other flavours that we experience come from smell.

Detailed explanation-4: -It is frequently asserted that somewhere between 75 and 95 % of what we commonly think of as taste actually comes from the sense of smell.

Detailed explanation-5: -Can you taste without smell? Smell and taste are closely related. Your tongue can detect sweet, sour, salty and bitter tastes. But without your sense of smell, you wouldn’t be able to detect delicate, subtle flavors.