How plants produce defensive toxins without harming themselves

Plants produce toxic substances to defend themselves against herbivores. In a new study, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena and the University of Münster, Germany, were able to describe ...

Researchers discover how we perceive bitter taste

Humans can sense five different tastes: sour, sweet, umami, bitter, and salty, using specialized sensors on our tongues called taste receptors. Other than allowing us to enjoy delicious foods, the sensation of taste allows ...

Cancer-causing chemicals detected in toys and headphones

Cancer-causing chlorinated paraffins are still used in a wide range of everyday products sold in North America, despite their known health harm and being banned in Canada for a decade, according to a new study in Environmental ...

Researchers discover molecular basis for alkaline taste

Whether or not animals can taste basic or alkaline food and how they do it has remained a mystery until now. A research group led by Yali Zhang, Ph.D., principal investigator at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, recently ...

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