Smell and Taste : The Chemical Senses

WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY bombarded by molecules released into our environment. Through the senses of smell and taste these molecules provide us with important information that we use constantly in our daily lives. They inform us about the availability of foods and the potential pleasure or danger to be derived from them. They also initiate physiological changes required for the digestion and utilization of ingested foodstuffs. In many mammals the sense of smell plays an additional role, eliciting physiological and behavioral responses to members of the same species.