Human Perception & Sensory Physiology Flashcards

Approximately how many functional olfactory receptor genes do humans possess?

Answer: About 400

Humans have roughly 350-400 functional olfactory receptor genes out of a larger set including pseudogenes.

When a panelist perceives a food's aroma after swallowing, via the back of the oral cavity, this is called:

Answer: Retronasal olfaction

Retronasal olfaction occurs when volatiles travel from the mouth to the nasal cavity and is central to flavor perception.

The cooling sensation of menthol and the burn of capsaicin are mediated mainly by which nerve?

Answer: Trigeminal nerve (V)

Chemesthetic sensations such as pungency and cooling are carried by the trigeminal nerve.

Capsaicin produces a burning sensation primarily by activating which receptor?

Answer: TRPV1

Capsaicin activates the heat-sensitive TRPV1 channel, signaling burning heat.

A panelist cannot smell androstenone but has otherwise normal olfaction; this is best described as:

Answer: Specific anosmia

Specific anosmia is an inability to perceive one particular odorant while overall smell is normal.

In the olfactory bulb, each glomerulus generally receives input from sensory neurons that:

Answer: Express the same olfactory receptor type

Olfactory neurons expressing the same receptor converge onto the same glomeruli, forming an odor map.

During a long aroma evaluation, a panelist's sensitivity to a sample odor declines with continuous exposure. This is:

Answer: Olfactory adaptation

Sustained exposure reduces responsiveness to an odor, known as olfactory adaptation or fatigue.