Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle

Sponsored by the American Physiological Society

Tag Archive for ‘smell’

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On the road to developing artificial odorant sensors for noses

Almost all animals have some ability to detect smells their environment and there are countless odorant molecules and combinations of molecules in the environment that our systems are challenged with identifying. The sense of smell is important in many biological processes such as finding food, mates, and detecting threats. Scents may also conjure up memories and affect our emotions. About 5% of the population either has no (anosmia) or very […]

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Ever wonder why humans are attracted to the smell of fatty foods?

There has been a lot of speculation that fast food establishments and bakeries intentionally waft smells that attract customers. I’ll admit I find the smell of cheeseburgers quite tempting. Researchers are seeking to understand what draws humans to the smell of fatty foods in an effort to target those sensations as a way to combat obesity and obesity-related diseases. The approach seems reasonable. If I couldn’t smell a juicy grilled […]

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Nitrites and noses

If you have ever had a fish tank, you may be familiar with monitoring ammonia levels in the water. Ammonia levels can rise due to overcrowding, overfeeding, as well as fish waste. Nitrite levels in the water also require monitoring as nitrite can bind to hemoglobin, which prevents oxygen from binding. In effect, by preventing oxygen from binding, the fish can succumb to hypoxia. Hannah Hughes, a graduate student working […]

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Sniffing out cancer?

I just saw an interesting review article published in Physiological Reviews that discussed the presence of olfactory (i.e. smell) receptors located outside of the nose. Say what? It turns out that these “smell” receptors are not unique to our nostrils. In fact they are found throughout our bodies. Those found in the heart may be responsible for regulating heart function, those in the immune system are thought to help destroy types […]

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