======Taste and Smell Connection======


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**Alternative titles:** Flavor Perception Experiment
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Partner with a friend for the activity.  
  - Close your eyes and pinch your nose shut.  
  - Have your partner place a flavored candy (such as a Life Saver® or gummy ring) in your mouth without telling you the flavor.  
  - Try to identify the flavor while keeping your nose closed.  
  - Continue to observe how the taste changes as the candy dissolves.  
  - Release your nose after a short time and notice how the flavor suddenly becomes recognizable.



====Links==== 

📄 Your Sense of Taste - Exploratorium: [[https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/your-sense-of-taste]]\\


====Variations====
  * Try with different types of candies (fruity, minty, sour) to see which are easier or harder to identify.  
  * Compare results between people with clear sinuses versus those with a stuffy nose.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Use small, hard candies with caution to avoid choking hazards.  
  * Participants should remain seated while doing the activity.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why is it difficult to identify candy flavors when your nose is closed? (Most of what we call "taste" is actually smell; without olfactory input, only sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami are detected.)  
  * Why do foods taste bland when you have a cold? (Congested nasal passages prevent scent molecules from reaching the olfactory receptors.)  
  * What are the five confirmed tastes, and what possible additional tastes are being studied? (Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami; fat and carbonation are possible additions.)  
  * Why might bitter taste receptors be located at the back of the tongue? (To help detect toxins and trigger protective reflexes such as vomiting.)