Psychology Essays (UOP)

Psy/345 Chemical Senses Paper

Chemical Senses Paper

Samantha Craig

PSY/345

7/25/2015

Lynn Davison

Touch, hear, sight, smell and taste these are the five senses that the human body has in which individuals learn at an early age. Each one is of value to us and help with daily activities. Most people know how important the first three are daily. However, many forget that smell and taste also help bring awareness to surroundings and also create long term memories.

First, we have smell which can also be known as olfaction. This occurs when perceptible chemicals that are all around in the environment enter an individual's nose while in the middle of breathing. The "olfactory receptors are located in the roof of the nasal cavity" (Richardson, 2013) is a small segment that is home to what is called smell receptors. These receptors send impulses along the olfactory nerve to the base of the cerebrum in the brain. Smell, is considered a "Direct" sense. This is because from the first time something produces a smell it releases molecules that float up through the air and into the nasal cavity. The Cilia, which is the little hairs inside the nose, is what develops the smell perception. Once the elements that have been released are inhaled they then start to stick to the chemoreceptors, then the cilia which is when the perception of smell is sanctioned.

Second, there is taste or also referred to as Gustatory. Taste happens when a chemical substance enters the mouth. This then activates sensory sells which are known as papillae or the even common name of taste buds. Once these are triggered they send impulses to the brain that then registers what it is the individual is tasting. Papillae are the small wart like bumps that line the tongue, checks and even the back of the throat. Each bump can contain anywhere between ten to fifty sensory sells. Just on the tongue alone there can be anywhere to ten thousands taste buds. There are five different tastes that are mostly recognized these would be Bitter, Sweet, Salty, Sour, and Savory. While many individuals would believe that spicy would be considered a taste it is more of a pain signal reaction which is based by temperature of the food.

Smell and taste may be considered separate senses. However, they do have quite and effect with each other. According to Richardson(2013) a stimulus involved with smell and taste may start off in different ways but they both end up have the same internal mechanisms that involve impulses being sent through the nerves that end up in the cerebrum of the brain that then states what we taste and smell and also stores it into memory. Smell has more of a profound effect on taste then vice versa. When a person is sick and has a stuffy nose it is hard to smell anything whether it be food or drinks. This then dulls the taste of what is entering the mouth to where most would then describe the flavor as bland.

When having these two sense it would be hard to choose just one to change that could enhance a meal to taste better. Smell is something that we do no matter what. When a person bends down and is trying a new food for the first time the first reaction is to sniff what is in front of you. This is usually when people turn down the meal if it smells horrible. When cooking something your sense of smell can tell you when something is burning or even if the food you are cooking is spoiled. However taste is just as important, the flavors of the food dance in your mouth and you get that savory taste that is your meal. If something tastes wrong, forgin or your body feels it might be dangerous it will start the gag reflex so that the food leaves your body before going down the throat. Therefore, with these reasons I would not change either of these particular senses just to enhance a meal. They work together and separately so well to make the flavor dance in the mouth or to protect an individual from harm that they should not be tampered with.

Sensory elements are useful when creating meals. Imagine walking in the house and see baked chicken marinated in Italian dressing, Cooked with a baked potato and freshly made sweet corn. The aromas in the cling to the air. The zesty smell of the Italian dressing mixed with the corn. Flavors dance in the mouth as each textured bite of the baked potato turn to the salty sweet taste of the buttered corn. The chicken with its savory yet slightly sour taste makes for a meal even the taste buds would enjoy. All of these sensory elements being used with the chemical senses get sent through the right nerve channels to the cerebrum of the brain where it then deciphers what these senses are experiencing and the emotions that they make the individual feel and then stores these into the memory.

When it comes to chemical senses the brain and memory all work together and are linked. Just as the brain is linked to the body its does the same with senses. Taste and smell are a huge part of an individual's life and experience. As children we recognize the scent of our parents, the older the person gets the more smells we notice. This is due to the fact that our brains store the memories of these scents. Each person has a certain smell that reminds them of a specific time. Just as a grandmother always baked every time she had visitors and she passed away. Yet when the smell of chocolate chips is in the air it reminds a person of the times spent with grandma in the kitchen. This works with taste to such as the first time a child has their first amazing cake and when they go taste the same cake they remember the first time they ever had it. These examples are how chemical senses work with the brain to create emotional memories.

In conclusion the brain is a vast organ and controls and stores so much data that many don't understand or take for granted. Chemical Senses such as taste and smell have a huge impact on individuals and their brains. Smell happens when molecules are released into the air and into the nasal cavity where they then travel through nerves to the cerebrum. Taste happens when substances enter the mouth and the taste buds send impulses through the nerves to the cerebrum as well where each of these senses are then stored into the emotional memories of the individual. Therefore if someone was to smell lilacs and then remembered the smell of they in their mother's kitchen or even the taste of sweet tea on a hot summer day as a kid and they remember that years later as they have tea with their children. This is how the emotional memories happen and why they are stored with the chemical senses that they experienced at that time. These will continue to grow for the rest of their lives as they grow to experience new aromas and flavors the world has to offer them.

References

RICHARDSON, L. (2013, June). Flavor, Taste and Smell. . Mind & Language, 28(3).

Stevenson, R. (2008, December). Confusing tastes and smells: Chemical Senses, 24(6).

Goldstein, B. (2014) Sensation and Perception. (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning