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What Does Carbon Dioxide Taste Like? Fizzy Drinks Can Tell The Human Tongue

by Tanya Thomas on Oct 20 2009 10:22 AM

A new research has revealed that the human tongue can taste the "flavour" of carbon dioxide when bubbles of fizzy drinks break on it.

The study published in the journal 'Science,' revealed that similar to the way tongue detects the flavour of sour food, it also responds to the gases of carbonated or fermented drinks.

Neuroscientist at Columbia University in New York, Charles Zuker, is the man who found that a class of taste-receptor cells in the tongue responds to carbon dioxide.

He also specifically identified an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase 4 in the detection of the gas, reports the Independent.

The research was conducted on laboratory mice genetically modified to lack sour-sensing taste cells.

The scientists apparently found that the mice also lacked the ability to detect carbon dioxide in carbonated water.

However, those that did retain the sour-sensing cells showed a neurological response when drinking carbonated water.

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The study also explains the the reason why people do not get the taste of champagne, beer and other fizzy drinks when on an acetazolamide, a prophylactic taken to avert altitude sickness.

Source-ANI
TAN


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