Sensors that detect odours in the nose have been found in human taste cells on the tongue, scientists have discovered. The finding suggests that interactions between our senses of smell and taste may begin on the tongue and not in the brain, as previously thought. Until now, taste and smell were considered to be independent sensory systems – but Mehmet Hakan Ozdener, a cell biologist at the Monell Center, Philadelphia, was prompted to challenge this belief when his 12-year-old son asked him if snakes extend their tongues so they can smell. The discovery could lead to the development of “odour-based taste modifiers”, Ozdener said, which could one day help deter people from consuming excess salt, sugar, and fat. [Read More: ‘I’m 26 and can no longer taste or smell’]

Source: Huffington Post April 24, 2019 10:18 UTC