About Us Portfolio Press Careers Sitemap Advertise Contact Us Make this your Homepage

Custom Search

Register

Sign In

Sign In Using Facebook

Home » Research News

A Rose By Any Other Name May Not Smell Sweet Anymore!

by Sreeraman on December 24, 2008 at 11:04 AM Research News

Shakespeare's suggestion that calling a rose by any other name would not change its sweet smell may not be true anymore, for scientists say that the flower's fragrance can be modified by altering the shape of the molecules that generate it.

Related Links

Dr. Kevin Ryan, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at The City College of New York (CCNY) and collaborators in the laboratory of Dr. Stuart Firestein, Professor of Biology at Columbia University, say that their findings have potential applications in the design of flavours and fragrances.

The researchers highlighted the fact that when odour-producing molecules, known as odorants, pass through the nose, they trigger intracellular changes in a subset of the approximately 400 different varieties olfactory sensory neurons (OSN) housed in the nose's internal membrane tissue.

According to them, the unique reaction pattern produced, known as the olfactory code, is sent as a signal to the brain, which leads to perception of odours.

With a view to determining how these receptor cells respond when odorants change their shape, the researchers studied the odorant octanal, an eight-carbon aldehyde, that occurs in many flowers and citrus fruits.

Professor Ryan revealed that octanal is a structurally flexible molecule that can adapt to many different shapes by rotating its chemical bonds.

He and his colleagues designed and synthesized eight-carbon aldehydes that resembled octanal, but had their carbon chains locked by adding one additional bond.

Page 1

Page 1 | 2

Next

China Considers Tough Penalties On Hackers

'Tunable' Eye Glasses To Be Distributed In India Soon

More News on: Anosmia , Edible Flowers for Health

Comment & Contribute

Be the first to comment!
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters
	Notify me when reply is posted I agree to the terms and conditions
Your comments are automatically posted once they are submitted. All comments are however constantly reviewed for spam and irrelevant material (such as product or personal advertisements, email addresses, telephone numbers and website address). Such insertions do not conform to our policy and 'Terms of Use' and are either deleted or edited and republished. Please keep your comments brief and relevant.This section may also have questions seeking help. If you have the information you are welcome to respond, but please ensure that the information so provided is genuine and not misleading.

Medwonders Health Network

Support Groups Members Discussions

Total Members - 54991
Support Groups - 445

Health News Index

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Latest News Most Popular Most Commented

Organ Damage in Inflammatory Genetic Disorder Arrested by Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug

Kids' Gadget Perplex 1 In 6 Parents

Immune System Regulation Directly Affected If Raised on a Farm

Shortly, Memory- Impaired Patients to Get Smartphone 'Prescription'

Sporting Activity in Excess Could Mar Long-Term Success of Hip Resurfacing

News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :

News Quick Links

	News Central			Health Watch
	Latest Health News			Health In Focus
	News Category (500+)			Breaking Health News
	Popular News			Celebrating Life
	Health News and Press Release			Medindia - Exclusive
	News Photo Gallery			India Special
	News Video Gallery			Lifestyle and Wellness
	News From Other Resources

News Categories:


»	Scientists Identify Potential Therapeutic Target for Tobacco-Related Lung Cancers

»	Additional Option for Treating Colon Cancer

»	Turmeric May Help Slow Prostate Tumor Growth

»	Terminally Ill Cancer Patients Often Delay Discussing End-of-Life Care With Physicians

»	Breast Cancer and Pregnancy: New Research
More Cancer News

Research Related News
»	Organ Damage in Inflammatory Genetic Disorder Arrested by Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug	»	Immune System Regulation Directly Affected If Raised on a Farm
»	Shortly, Memory- Impaired Patients to Get Smartphone 'Prescription'	»	Sporting Activity in Excess Could Mar Long-Term Success of Hip Resurfacing
»	Spread of Clostridium Difficile in Hospitals Probably Not by Contact With Infected Patients	»	Study Finds Cognitive Performance Decline After Natural Disasters
»	Study Provides Evidence of Malaria's Impact on Fetal Growth	»	Research Sheds Light on Usefulness of Bubble-Propelled Microrockets

Read More >>

Accident and Trauma Care Support Group	Acupuncture Support Group	Albinism / Hypopigmentation / Albinos Support Group
Alcohol abuse / Alcohol dependence / Alcoholism Support Group	Aromatherapy Support Group	Avian Influenza / Bird Flu Support Group
Ayurveda Support Group	Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Support Group	Birth Defects - Metabolic Defects Support Group

A Rose By Any Other Name May Not Smell Sweet Anymore!

Medwonders Health Network

Research Related News

Consumers

Medical Professionals

Medical Students

Directories