The Neurobiology Of Taste And Smell

Presents an introduction to research in the chemistry of senses with an emphasis on taste and smell. Provides the starting place from which students as well as established neurobiologists can delve more deeply into a particular specialty. Topics covered include transduction at the periphery, transmission to the brain, sensation representation within the brain, and the normal development of sensory systems. Explains current challenges as well as future directions in each area of research Covers results and interpretation of research while avoiding technical details.

Edited by Thomas E. Finger, Wayne L. Silver, and Diego Restrepo The ability to detect chemicals in one’s surroundings is a vital function for organisms ranging from single cells to insects to humans. The explosion of information provided by molecular and cellular biology has contributed greatly to our understanding of how the chemical senses function in these organisms and is the impetus for the second edition of The Neurobiology of Taste and Smell. This updated edition contains all-new chapters by many new contributors, although this edition, like the first, is intended to provide an introduction to the field itself. The second edition incorporates the significant strides that have been made with the application of modern cell and molecular techniques. It includes the following subjects: Chemical sensitivity and sensibility Olfaction Gustation Genetic models of chemoreception Chemosensory signaling Transduction and the molecular biology of olfaction and taste And much more Covering a wide range of disciplines including neurobiology, molecular biology, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and psychology, The Neurobiology of Taste and Smell, Second Edition provides a comprehensive description of the crucial issues and important developments within each area. Students and researchers in neuroscience and cell and molecular biology, in addition to new investigators to the field, will find the Second Edition an essential reference of updated information.

Comprehensive Overview of Advances in Olfaction The common belief is that human smell perception is much reduced compared with other mammals, so that whatever abilities are uncovered and investigated in animal research would have little significance for humans. However, new evidence from a variety of sources indicates this traditional view is likely overly simplistic. The Neurobiology of Olfaction provides a thorough analysis of the state-of-the-science in olfactory knowledge and research, reflecting the growing interest in the field. Authors from some of the most respected laboratories in the world explore various aspects of olfaction, including genetics, behavior, olfactory systems, odorant receptors, odor coding, and cortical activity. Until recently, almost all animal research in olfaction was carried out on orthonasal olfaction (inhalation). It is only in recent years, especially in human flavor research, that evidence has begun to be obtained regarding the importance of retronasal olfaction (exhalation). These studies are beginning to demonstrate that retronasal smell plays a large role to play in human behavior. Highlighting common principles among various species – including humans, insects, Xenopus laevis (African frog), and Caenorhabditis elegans (nematodes) – this highly interdisciplinary book contains chapters about the most recent discoveries in odor coding from the olfactory epithelium to cortical centers. It also covers neurogenesis in the olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulb. Each subject-specific chapter is written by a top researcher in the field and provides an extensive list of reviews and original articles for students and scientists interested in further readings.

The human body has developed complex sensory processing systems which manifest themselves in our emotions, memory, and language. This book examines such olfactory and gustatory cognition. Leading experts have written chapters on many facets of taste and smell, including odor memory, genetic variation in taste, and the hedonistic dimensions of odors.

Smell and taste are our most misunderstood senses. Given a choice between losing our sense of smell and taste, or our senses of sight and hearing, most people nominate the former, rather than the latter. Yet our sense of smell and taste has the power to stir up memories, alter our mood and even influence our behaviour. In The Neuropsychology of Smell and Taste, Neil Martin provides a comprehensive, critical analysis of the role of the brain in gustation and olfaction. In his accessible and characteristic style he shows why our sense of smell and taste do not simply perform basic and intermittent functions, but lie at the very centre of our perception of the world around us. Through an exploration of the physiology, anatomy and neuropsychology of the senses; the neurophysiological causes of smell and taste disorders, and their function in physical and mental illness, Neil Martin provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of the processes of gustation and olfaction. The Neuropsychology of Smell and Taste provides a state-of-the-art overview of current research in olfactory and gustatory perception. With sections describing the effect of odour and taste on our behaviour, and evaluating the contribution current neuroimaging technology has made to our understanding of the senses, the book will be of interest to researchers and students of neuropsychology and neuroscience, and anybody with an interest in olfaction and gustation.

Synthesizing coverage of sensation and reward into a comprehensive systems overview, Neurobiology of Sensation and Reward presents a cutting-edge and multidisciplinary approach to the interplay of sensory and reward processing in the brain. While over the past 70 years these areas have drifted apart, this book makes a case for reuniting sensation a

Leading neuroscientist Gordon M. Shepherd embarks on a paradigm-shifting trip through the "human brain flavor system," laying the foundations for a new scientific field: neurogastronomy. Challenging the belief that the sense of smell diminished during human evolution, Shepherd argues that this sense, which constitutes the main component of flavor, is far more powerful and essential than previously believed. Shepherd begins Neurogastronomy with the mechanics of smell, particularly the way it stimulates the nose from the back of the mouth. As we eat, the brain conceptualizes smells as spatial patterns, and from these and the other senses it constructs the perception of flavor. Shepherd then considers the impact of the flavor system on contemporary social, behavioral, and medical issues. He analyzes flavor's engagement with the brain regions that control emotion, food preferences, and cravings, and he even devotes a section to food's role in drug addiction and, building on Marcel Proust's iconic tale of the madeleine, its ability to evoke deep memories. Shepherd connects his research to trends in nutrition, dieting, and obesity, especially the challenges that many face in eating healthily. He concludes with human perceptions of smell and flavor and their relationship to the neural basis of consciousness. Everyone from casual diners and ardent foodies to wine critics, chefs, scholars, and researchers will delight in Shepherd's fascinating, scientific-gastronomic adventures.

This is a comprehensive and unique text that details the latest research on smell and taste disorders for use by clinicians and scientists.