Olfaction and Taste

Abstract

The ability to detect and interpret the chemicals in our environment affects nearly every aspect of our survival. The flavor of our food, i.e., the combination of its taste and smell, is used both to prompt ingestion of nutrients and to protect us from ingesting or inhaling toxins. In the study of taste and olfaction, there are certain as yet unresolved questions that date from the very earliest research into these areas. For example, there is continued debate on the nature of primary stimuli, on the mechanisms of transduction, and on the ways in which stimuli are encoded and interpreted by the nervous system. In this review, the current thinking about these questions, as well as some recent data that may help to resolve them, are outlined. Data from both animal and human models are used to show how technological advances, particularly in the realm of molecular neurobiology, are providing the tools for a new and more complete understanding of how we taste and smell the chemicals in our environment.

Food and Food-Odor Preferences in Dogs: A Pilot Study

“…Olfaction and taste combine to produce flavor, which is critical in determining the consumption of a food ( Di Lorenzo and Youngentob 2003 ). In dogs, olfaction is believed to play an integral role in the sensory experience of eating and food choice ( Houpt et al 1978 , 1982 ; Houpt and Smith 1981 ; Bradshaw 1991 , 2006 ; Horowitz et al 2013 ).…”

A new method to assess the influence of odor on food selection in dogs

“…Food choice is complex and is influenced by many internal and external factors, such as emotional and physiological states of the dog, food characteristics, etc. (Di Lorenzo & Youngentob, 2003). Among internal drivers, all sensory perceptions can influence food intake decision (Kitchell, 1978).…”