Chemical Senses Paper

Nicole OatleyPSY 345Mr. Robert Duncan

By

Have you ever really put much thought to just how important your sense

Of taste and sense of smell really is? The abilityto smell and taste is

Considered to be crucial, because it is believed

that by losing your sense of smell for example

could mean you may not live much longer. When a

Person sits down to eat or walks into a smell of

something floral or fruity, having the ability to

smell and taste isn’t exactly what comes to mind

first. If we were made to think more on just how

we are able to taste and Smell, the American

public would become more aware of our bodies

Ability to do just about anything. Most often than

not, a person can take Their chemical senses for

granted and never truly appreciate the value of

Something that can seem so small, but yet is

larger than life to those who Have lost their

ability to do either one or both. Our chemical

sense of taste holds about ten thousand taste buds

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while our chemical sense of smell can detect about

twenty thousand different odors in ten different

intensities, when our sense of taste only has the

five primary tastes. Whatever the Number is for

either one, both have their own pros and cons, but

also a Specific purpose to serve within the human

body.

Smell and taste can affect each other by many

ways including one that could hinder them both at

the same time. When your chemical sense of Smell

isn’t allowing a person to smell what they are

eating or the choice to decide what to eat, then

anticipation of the chemical sense of taste isn’t

provided. The power of an aroma brings awareness

to what a person likes to eat and drink. The

tongue of a human is only able to detect four

basic sensations such as salty, sour, sweet, and

bitter, while the 5th sensation is call umami

which is stimulated by MSG. Have you ever noticed

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how food can taste different or have no taste at

all when you’re sick with a cold? When your sense

of smell is affected to something like the cold or

flu, so is your sense of taste. It is believed

that when a cold invades the human body our sense

of smell and taste our kicked to the curb.

Although our sense of smell and sense of taste are

different with their own certain receptors they

are however closely connected within the body.

Your nose plays the role of all the flavors the

tongue identifies, but when your sense of smell

becomes congested, it leaves any flavor from the

tongue tasting like cardboard or simply no taste

at all. Having a cold to affect the sense of smell

and taste is the best way to prove to someone how

the sense of smell can affect the sense of taste

the most. The olfactory receptor cells within the

nasal cavity help in measuring odors that

ultimately provide flavor to our food. Those same

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cells when stimulated will then send signals to

the brain that ultimately make us aware of our

perception of taste. When sick or the sense of

smell doesn’t send those signals to certain areas

of the brain, were not aware of any sense of taste

and the perception of taste is no more. Having

impaired taste means the sense of smell is

affected, but also the sense of smell is affected,

but also the sense of taste is as well. Impaired

taste simply means your sense of taste isn’t

functioning in the way it’s supposed to probably

due to your sense of smell. Even receiving

radiation and/or chemo can give a person an

impaired taste. The medical term for those changes

is called dysgeusia which can occur after and

during cancer treatments. The sense of smell is

affecting a person’s sense of smell is affecting a

person’s sense of taste since both senses are

closely linked. When your sense of taste is

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affected by whatever the reason may be can lead to

food dislikes, your loss of appetite, and even

weight loss. Radiation alone changes a person’s

taste buds and salivary glands and that is after

it changes your sense of smell. Your sense of

taste does eventually improve weeks after

treatment ends, but some are still left with a

metallic taste when eating meat or foods high in

protein. Other reasons your sense of smell can

affect your sense of taste are surgery to the

nose, throat, or mouth, dry mouth, damage to

nerves that involve taste, mouth and dental

infections, gum problems and disorders that cause

you to lose both senses. Disorders such as anosmia

which is the total loss of smell, hyposmia which

is a partial loss of smell, hypogeusia which is a

loss of the sense of taste, and dygeusia which is

a persistent but unpleasant sense of taste. As a

person ages, their sense of smell can affect even

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their sense of taste when they constantly have

upper respiratory infections, nasal diseases, head

injuries, neurological disorders, and simply

aging. If you think only the sense of taste can be

affected, you’d be wrong. Studies have proven or

worked to prove losing your sense of smell means

you won’t live much longer. Your sense of smell

isn’t just tied to your sense of taste, but also

to your emotions, your sexual attraction, but most

importantly your health. It is believed your sense

of smell peaks at the age of 8 and then declines

in sensitivity by 15. Losing your sense of smell

can mean death for someone within five years. If

you think your losing your sense of smell,

checking for a zinc deficiency could help you to

catch it. There are ways to improve your sense of

smell so that hopefully it doesn’t affect your

sense of taste. Those ways are exercise at least

once a week, becoming scent conscious, and sniff

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therapy. There are at least seven facts about our

sense of smell you may want to know. People can

pick up at least one trillion certain scents, your

scent cells can renew themselves 30 to 60 days,

you are able to smell fear and disgust, smell is

your oldest sense, women often have a better sense

of smell than men, Age related losses of smell has

been linked to race, and each of us have our own

distinct odor.

Between the sense of smell and sense of taste,

I would more than likely change my sense of smell

to make my meals taste better, because without it,

my sense of taste would be useless. With all that

was mentioned on how the sense of smell can affect

the sense of taste, common sense rules in changing

your sense of smell. Wouldn’t really make much

sense to change your sense of taste if you don’t

have one in the first place. The connection

created between the chemical sense, emotional

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memories, and the brain are entwined with one

another. A certain place, a certain smell, or even

a flashback can make the chemical senses, the

emotional memories, and the brain make the

connection needed to distinguish something from

your past, present, or even the future once it

arrives.

As for my conclusion, the hope of people

realizing their chemical senses are more than just

something they possess will be revealing but

exciting day for them. Without either one of these

two senses, your mind wouldn’t be able to let you

know what you’re eating or if it will even taste

good. It’s critical to have the sense of taste,

because without it your body couldn’t survive like

it’s supposed to. See your chemical senses as more

of a privilege than just something your body does

on its own.

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REFERENCE PAGE

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http://www.brainfacts.org/sensing-thinking-

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behaving/senses-and-perception/articles/2012/

taste-and-smell/

Taste and Smell. (2015). Retrieved from

http://uconntasteandsmell.uchc.edu/facts/index.htm

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George, N. (2015). 10 Incredible Facts About Your

Sense of Smell. Retrieved from

http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/incredible-

facts-about-your-sense-smell/

Drewnowski, Adam; Coldwell, Susan E.; Rolls,

Barbara J.. "Taste and Smell." Encyclopedia of

Aging. 2002. Retrieved January 15, 2015 from

Encyclopedia.com:

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-

3402200403.html

Katz, Dr. Harold. (2014). WHY CAN'T WE TASTE

ANYTHING WHEN WE'RE SICK?. Retrieved from

http://www.therabreath.com/articles/blog/fresh-

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breath-happenings/why-cant-we-taste-anything-when-

were-sick-34603.asp

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http://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/side-

effects/taste-changes

Fields, H. (2012). Fragrant Flashbacks. Retrieved

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