Medical Discovery News
Science permeates everyday life. Yet the understanding of advances in biomedical science is limited at best. Few people make the connection that biomedical science is medicine and that biomedical scientists are working today for the medicine of tomorrow. Our weekly five-hundred-word newspaper column (http://www.illuminascicom.com/) and two-minute radio show provide insights into a broad range of biomedical science topics. Medical Discovery News is dedicated to explaining discoveries in biomedical research and their promise for the future of medicine. Each release is designed to stimulate listeners to think, question and appreciate how science affects their health as well as that of the rest of the world. We also delve into significant biomedical discoveries and portray how science (or the lack of it) has impacted health throughout history.
Medical Discovery News
Still a Mystery; Sense of Smell
955 Still a Mystery; Sense of Smell
Welcome to Medical Discovery News. I’m Dr David Niesel.
And I’m Dr. Norbert Herzog
Of all our senses, the least understood is smell. The brain region responsible for it is called the olfactory bulb and it’s way more complex system than our sight.
Our noses hold at least a million odor receptors comprised of at least four hundred types. The gene family behind odor receptors is among the human genome’s largest, allowing us to detect up to eighty trillion odors.
We have this amazing ability because odor chemicals come in different physical shapes to interact uniquely with many receptors.
Consider a cat while blindfolded. Touching a cat’s head versus its claws conveys very different shapes.
So, depending on the “piece” of the molecule’s shape that a receptor binds, different receptors can interact with the same odor chemical and send independent signals to the brain.
To make it even more complicated, a chemical’s structure doesn’t predict its odor or smell. Vastly different chemicals can trigger the same smell.
Also, our sense of smell is very subjective. For some, the smell of fried liver and onions is divine but to me it smells like burning tires. And to make it even more complex, what we smell is a response to not one but a mix of chemicals.
We’re using AI to learn how our olfactory receptors recognize odor chemicals. We know that two similar molecules can be perceived as different smells. Maybe one day we’ll understand how fresh-brewed coffee can have such an effect on java lovers.
We are Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog, at UTMB and Quinnipiac University, where biomedical discoveries shape the future of medicine. For much more and our disclaimer go to medicaldiscoverynews.comor subscribe to our podcast. Sign up for expanded print episodes at www.illuminascicom.com
