Kids ask: Does smell affect taste?

Maria Barba's classroom at MacArthur Elementary in Hoffman Estates asked, "How does our sense of taste connect to our sense of smell?"p class="News">You might say noses have more sense than taste buds. Sensory receptors for smell, located inside your nose, are much more sensitive than those for taste. When you take a sniff, odor molecules are directed into your nose and become trapped in the mucus. They are driven upward and react with odor-receiving nerve cells that zip messages to your brain. "These nerves run from the roof of the nose to our brain and are the only cranial sensory nerves capable of regeneration from damage," explained Dr. Gary Livingston, a surgeon who specializes in head and neck surgery at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital near Barrington.Taste buds contain about 100 taste cells each that can sense the five main taste categories: bitter, sour, salty, sweet and savory. Taste buds are mostly located on the tongue with a few perched on the roof of the mouth. The texture of food can affect taste and the smell can create the sense of flavor. "Taste and smell are very much related," said Dr. David Goodman, a physician who specializes in ear, nose and throat problems at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital. "Much of what we call taste is smell."Our bodies use chemical processes to hitch a ride within the nervous system, directing the brain to identify both taste and smell. Dr. Livingston said, "Taste travels to the brain via nerves under the tonsils and through the inner ear."Bad colds and stuffy noses might muffle both taste and smell, making it difficult for people to know what they are eating or smelling. "They might not know the difference between chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Raw apple and potato would have the same taste factor," Dr. Goodman said.What if your taste buds didn't work properly? "Taste is highly dependent upon smell; with loss of smell life would be boring," said Dr. Livingston. "Try this experiment with a friend: Take a piece of butterscotch candy and put it on your tongue with your nose pinched. You won't be able to tell what it is until you let go of your nose."Check these outThe Schaumburg Township District Library suggests these titles on taste and smell.bull; "Smelling and Tasting," by Claire Llewellynbull; "The Sense of Smell," by Ellen Weissbull; "Making Sense of Senses," from the series Experiment with Sciencebull; "Tasting," by Rebecca Olienbull; "The Sense of Taste," by Ellen Weiss