Abstract
This project is so good you can taste it! You'll find out how sensitive your tongue is for three different types of taste: sweet, sour and salty.Objective
The goal of this project is to determine your threshold of taste for sweetness, sourness and saltiness. You will determine what is the lowest concentration of a solution that still has perceptible taste for salt, sugar and vinegar.
Introduction
Our neural system for taste is remarkably sensitive. Not only can we sense compounds at extremely low concentrations, we can also discriminate between compounds that are closely related. For some molecules, we can distinguish between different stereoisomers—molecules that are made of exactly the same atoms, but are mirror images of one another (Dodd & Castellucci, 1991). The artificial sweetener aspartame is an example. It tastes sweet, but its stereoisomer does not. Our noses are similarly sensitive: one stereoisomer of carvone smells of spearmint while its mirror image smells of carraway (Dodd & Castelluci, 1991).
In this experiment, you will determine your own taste thresholds for sweet, sour and salty solutions. You will start with a 10% solution, and use the process of serial dilution to make a series of solutions, each 10-fold weaker than the preceding one (i.e., 1%, 0.1%, 0.001%, etc.) If done properly, this is an extremely accurate method.
Terms, Concepts and Questions to Start Background Research
To do this project, you should do research that enables you to understand the following terms and concepts:
Bibliography
Materials and Equipment
To do this experiment you will need the following materials and equipment:
Experimental Procedure
| Substance | 10% | 1% | 0.1% | 0.01% | etc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sucrose | sodium chloride | vinegar |
Variations
Credits
Andrew Olson, Ph.D., Science Buddies
DiBari, 1998. "Taste Lab," Troy High School Labs Online, Troy, NY [accessed January 18, 2006] http://www.troy.k12.ny.us/thsbiology/labs_online/home_labs/taste_lab_home.html.
Dodd, J. and V.F. Castelluci, 1991. Smell and Taste: The Chemical Senses, in Kandel E., J.H. Schwarz and T.M. Jessell. Principles of Neuroscience: Third Edition. Norwalk, CT: Appleton & Lange.
Last edit date: 2006-02-22 00:28:34
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