This weeks links:
- Along with being a (very) short history lesson on viruses, this article highlights a very important, and often overlooked, aspect of science. Scientists are very precise in their language, and it is extremely rare that a single term will be used to describe more than one concept.
- It's Shark Week, again. Although many experts feel that the programming relies on shark-attack reporting too heavily, Discovery.com does have some ideas for anyone interested in learning more about sharks, and helping conservation efforts.
- Why do mint-flavored foods make your mouth feel cold? It has always been interesting to me that plant evolution to avoid predation (not only mint feeling cool but peppers feeling hot) has lead to properties desirable for humans.
68 comments:
I chose the article about mint because I adore ice cream. Mint chocolate chip has always been in my top ten flavors, so it is good to know the science behind its mouth cooling ability. According to the article, the mint plant produces a compound called menthol, which acts as a stimulus for the receptor proteins on the tongue that trigger a cold feeling in the mouth. What fascinates me is that menthol does not lower the temperature of the mouth, in fact, it heats the mouth! Normally, the receptor protein that communicates low temperatures to the brain, TRPM8, is activated by cold things on the tongue, such as ice cubes or a slurpee. However, in the case of menthol, the molecule simply happens to meet certain criteria that trigger an action potential. While reading this article I learned a little about action potential which was a topic exempt from honors biology. Nerve cells use action potentials to send information to the brain, such as a feeling of heat. The message is sent with an electrical impulse given off near the membrane and is received by neurons in the brain.
Yet, the mint plant does not have these cooling properties because it desires to please humans in the summertime. Scientists propose that long ago a mutation in a mint plant’s DNA caused it’s cells to produce menthol. The production of menthol turned out to be beneficial and over time through natural selection, the allele frequency for menthol increased causing the population to evolve. Having the allele for the production of menthol was maintained in the population presumably because it deterred predators. I can relate to this article because my dad and I have a garden where we grow a plethora of different veggies, many of which I have observed have defense mechanisms. As an illustration, the cucumbers have small spikes on the outside that protect their seeds from predators. Moreover, the spice of the jalapenos is nearly unbearable even with the seeds removed. Despite all these seemingly harmful defenses, the crops are dense with nutrients and flavor. In certain cases, the defense backfires on the plants, such as how mint is consumed because people enjoy the chilly flavor. Next time I feel remarkably hot I will indulge in mint chocolate chip ice cream because the ice of the cream and the menthol molecules of the mint will both contribute to cooling my sense of temperature.
As a chewing gum and mint addict, I decided to read the article "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" by Grant Currin on livescience.com. Being a person who likes to stay fresh by constantly chewing gum and eating mints, I instantly jumped to this article because I've always wondered what scientific explanation could explain the sensation one feels in their mouth after chewing spearmint gum or eating a peppermint. At the beginning of the article, Currin jumps to the fact that there are special molecules within the plant to deter predators away from the mint plant, similar to chilies. He goes on to explain natural selection and how plants carrying the gene to make these special molecules are able to pass it down to their offspring. Although interesting, this still made me wonder why we like the cold sensation of menthol. In short, menthol tricks our brain and body into feeling cold. On the contrary, the molecule capsaicin in chilies could be the reason why one would feel hot after eating a spicy dish. These molecules affect the somatosensory system which doesn't directly relate to one's sense of taste and smell. Certain proteins in cell membranes under the skin would be able to sense any menthol or capsaicin molecules that touch your tongue receptors. Then, the ion channels would open and permeate the cell membrane, which then triggers a signal to the brain to either feel cold, hot, etc. They relate this sensation to the TRPM8 protein, which also triggers cold receptors in your tongue. The sensitivity of our tongues and noses is so strong that it may mistake for being cold or hot, and that fact alone is so fascinating t ome.
This week I read the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” and learned many new, interesting things. To start, the molecules in both chili peppers and mint that trigger the sensation of temperature are capsaicin and menthol respectively. It’s thought that the ancestors of these plants started to produce these molecules as a defense mechanism against predators. The plants with these chemicals, had a higher rate of survival and were more fit, so they were able to pass on their genes resulting in why modern mint contains menthol in the first place. As to why menthol stimulates a cool feeling in the mouth, menthol tricks our bodies to feel cold when we aren’t. Similarly capsaicin tricks our bodies to feel hot. The chemicals affect the a complex network of neurons called the somatosensory system. The somatosensory system is a system of sensory receptors in our bodies that control things like touch, temperature, and pain, different from the systems responsible for taste and smell. As professor Seok-Yong Lee of Duke University explains, neurons under the skin use a multitude of membrane proteins to control ion channels that allow molecules to pass through the cell membrane when receptor proteins detect a stimulus. Once this stimulus is encountered, the proteins allow ions to flow through the cell membrane. These ions activate an action potential, a small electrical signal that neurons deliver to the brain. The protein TRPM8, which is associated with cold opens its ion channels when it makes contact with menthol causing the brain to receive an action potential that is understood as “the tongue is cold” even if it isn’t. Although it is known why menthol makes our mouths feel cold, it’s still not proven why TRPM8 is stimulated by the cold and menthol. On the other hand it is established that our eyes, nose, and mouth are so sensitive to chemicals like menthol because the nerve endings around the areas are really close to the surface. I found it really cool how chemicals in common foods and flavors are able to make our mouth feel a sensation that we aren’t actually experiencing otherwise by activating certain proteins.
The article I chose to read was “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?”. This is a topic I was very interested in since I love the scent and flavor of mint because of the refreshing feeling and now I finally know why that happens. Mint contains a molecule called menthol, which was used as a defense mechanism in order to protect itself from other organisms. Menthol affects our body’s system of sensory receptors, which are part of our somatosensory system. This system monitors touch, temperature, and pain. By the use of these specialized proteins nested in the cell membrane, tunnels called ion channels allow matter to pass through the cell membrane but they remain close until the receptor protein detects a distinct stimulus. When sensed, the protein allows ions to go through the cell membrane, triggering a minuscule electrical called the action potential. The action potential allows neurons to relay information to the brain. In retrospect, the reason mint makes your mouth feel cool is because of the relaying message of coldness by menthol during neural communication, tricking your brain into thinking your tongue is cold even though it's not.
The article that I decided to read this week was, “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” This article answers this question by explaining that mint plants produce menthol, a biochemical that has allowed the species to survive for generations. The menthol would make the proteins on the tongue allow for the entrance of ions from the outside. These ions would then trigger an action potential from the tongue’s nerve receptors, which would then send a signal to the brain informing it that the tongue is cold. However, this is not the case as the menthol triggers the receptors of TRPM8, a protein that is associated with feeling coldness. Therefore, the signal from the entrance of the ions would be automatically perceived as the tongue being cold, even when it is not. This would allow for mint plants to survive by making predators have the cold sensation after eating one of their leaves, therefore making them less likely to have more of the mint plant. Additionally, with the high sensitivity of the tongue, the predators would associate the mint with coldness and leave the plant untouched. However, I found this article to be particularly interesting as today we prefer to eat mint and any products associated with a mint flavoring, even though this taste evolved as a defense from predators. While we tend to enjoy eating mint products, many animals today still will avoid mint in order to avoid the cold sensation that mint provides. Mint plants would have to evolve to use more biochemicals to reduce the amount of people that eat them today, but it has still managed to survive for this long by simply tricking the nervous system of organisms today.
I enjoyed reading the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cold?”. This article captured my attention instantly because my favorite flavor in ice cream, gum, candy, chocolate is mint. I have always wondered why mint makes my mouth colder than usual. I didn’t know there was a scientific explanation behind it, and this article provided me the information and answer to my question. In the article, I learned that in mint leaves the plant produces capsaicin in chilies and menthol in the mint. Mint evolved into making compounds like menthol for the purpose of defense mechanisms. Therefore, mint produces menthol and this makes the mouth feel cold. The menthol tricks the body that it is cold even though in reality it isn’t. The capsaicin and menthol affect the somatosensory system which controls touch, temperature, and pain. There are neurons that can sense hot or cold, and they help monitor the environment by using proteins in the cell membrane. The receptor proteins embedded in the cellular membrane open their ion channels when they detect a protein called TRPM8 which has to do with coldness. Therefore, menthol molecules in the mint causes the TRPM8 receptors to open ion channels that send the action potential which is a electrical signal, to the brain. The brain thinks that the mouth is cold even though the coldness is a sensation. This explanation completely surprised me and was extremely helpful because I understand what happens when I eat mint. It is amazing that I know now what is happening when I eat chocolate chip mint ice cream on a regular hot summer day. Now I am able to tell others that it is the TRPM8 receptor from the menthol molecules in the mint that tricks them into thinking that their mouth to be cold. .
I read the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” By Grant Currin. Anytime that I consume something that has a mint flavor, I’ve always noticed a cool aftertaste. I had never realized that this minty, cool flavor was a result of natural selection. The article explains that the flavor is in fact a defense mechanism. Plants that produced this compound were less likely too be eaten, resulting in them surviving longer and reproducing more than other organisms. For mint plants, they produce menthol in order to protect themselves while other plants such as chilies produce capsaicin. Menthol as well as capsaicin can affect sensory systems in turn affecting things such as touch, temperature, and pain. The somatosensory system is in charge of sensations such as hot and cold. Under the skin, there are numerous neurons that monitor proteins within the cell membrane. In hot environments the ion channels in the cell membrane and are opened, allowing he ions to pass through. These ions will trigger an action potential that will transfer a message to the brain, informing when what parts of the body are cold. The protein TRPM8 is associated with cold feelings. Mint causes our mouth to feel cool because the menthol molecules cause this protein to open their ion channels, sending a action potential to the brain, convincing the brain that the tongue is cold even though it is not. I was very intrigued by this article, as I have always assumed the cool feeling in my mouth while eating mint ice cream was a result of the cold ice cream, not the mint. I didn’t know that it was possible to trick the brain into believing certain sensations were occurring while in reality they were not. However what I was most shocked to learn was that something like menthol could be considered self defense for plants. Overall, I learned about numerous riveting topics all relating to a simple mint leaf that I was unaware of.
From all three articles I was most interested in “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” We have all tried a mint at least once in our lives, and felt that cool sense in our mouth, but have we ever thought about what is there in mint that gives you that sense? Well mint makes menthol, and surprisingly menthol is what tricks our bodies in giving us that cool sense. As it states in the article, “....menthol tricks our bodies into feeling cold, even though we’re not.” Personally, I find it pretty shocking how even food can trick us in feeling different ways. We all have sensory receptors that give us these type of feelings. Another example is how chilis contain capsaicin, which gives us that extreme hot feeling in our mouth. As it states in the article, “Both menthol and capsaicin affect the system of sensory receptors that monitor things such as touch, temperature and pain.” This system is made up of a complex network of neurons, which gives us different feelings. As Seok-Young Lee states in the article, “There are neurons under the skin that can sense different sensations, like hot and cold,” I never thought about the wide range of tastes that we can get from a variety of foods from just these neurons until now. These neurons signal the cell membrane to give us these sensations. This is what tells our brain that our tongue is feeling hot or cold. But sometimes as it states in the article, “Most receptor proteins are designed to open their ion channels when they detect a particular stimulus.” One such protein mentioned is TRPM8. This protein is contained with coldness. One example to show what this protein can do, is when we lick an ice cream cone, this protein is activated, which gives us that coldness. Scientists say that TRPM8 has a strong sense to coldness and menthol, but since there’s no such proof, scientists can’t be positive whether or not that's true. The wide range of tastes that we get such as the cool sense of mint is done by how close the nerve endings are to the surface.
The article, "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?", was the most intriguing of all of the articles this week. I always thought that gum companies added an ingredient to their gum in order to get that cool sensation you get when you put it in your mouth. I've always felt that mint flavored gum is more "cool" than any other flavors of gum. This article taught me that the reason why minty things are so cold is due to the work of the mint itself in addition to any other cooling agents that companies may put in. While taking psychology, I learned how closely related taste and smell are, so I understood the part in the article where the author was explaining how mint affects our sensation. Since mint tricks the brain into thinking that the tongue is cold, I also believe that it does the same thing with smell. Whenever I smell something minty, the inside of my nose feels cooler, so mint must also be able to trick our brains into thinking our noses are cold as well. It's amazing to think about how such small things that people experience daily can be explained by biology. Evolution is something that occurs in all living things, but this article highlighted the different ways that plants adapt to their environments through natural selection. It's interesting to think about how long the hottest peppers in the world took to achieve that unbelievable amount of spiciness. It makes me wonder what mint will be like in another hundred years.
The article "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" was interesting because it describes the cool sensation of mint and the hot sensation of chili pepper as a beneficial trait for plants that helps them survive. However, this is only true because it made these plants "less likely to be eaten". The hot taste of chili peppers is advantageous because it deters animals from eating it. However, the cold taste of mint does not seem so intense as to have the same effect. Now that humans enjoy the taste these plants have evolved, the trait has become unfavorable for the plants and will therefore likely be lost over years if we stop growing these plants ourselves. The electrical signal described in the article is the reason the brain can detect signals from other body parts so quickly. It would be interesting to find out "why TRPM8 is sensitive to coldness and menthol" and by extension whether or not similar effects can be replicated using other molecules.
This week I chose to comment on the “Five Fin-tastic projects for a Shark week”. Sharks have always been severely misunderstood creatures. Because of their frightening appearance, they have been labeled as dangerous. The projects help to raise awareness about the true nature of sharks and help people to understand sharks better. Some of the projects include a global initiative to make people aware of shark eggs. By making this a very simple and at home process, many people are able to understand sharks better. Another example is the project in the New England area that helps to map migratory patterns of sharks. People send in sightings of sharks to the website and it helps to build a deeper understanding of migration patterns. Participants contribute to this initiative as well as learn about their contribution and its impact.
This week I chose to read the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” The title itself interested me, as mint is one of my favorite flavors. I’ve always wondered this myself, and learning that it was related to the chemical methanol in mint, was fascinating. Similar to the methanol in mint, there is capsaicin in chilies that is produced to drive predators away. This “flavor” that plants produce are used as a defense mechanism, so the plant can survive long enough to reproduce. The compounds methanol and capsaicin affect the somatosensory system, which is a complex system of neurons and pathways that are responsible for taste and smell. These neurons can sense certain sensations, such as hot and cold. They also use an array of specialized proteins embedded in the cell membrane, to monitor the environment. Matter is allowed to pass through the cell membrane through ion channels, and the ion channels are closed until the receptor protein detects the stimulator that it is looking for. When the ion channels detect the chemical or heat, the proteins turn on and ions are then allowed to permeate through the cell membrane. The new ions then trigger an electrical signal (action potential), in which neurons relay to the brain. An electromechanical telegram can be compared to the action potential, in which coldness receptors on the tongue are triggered when the tongue is cold. A protein that is associated with coldness is TRPM8. One of the main reasons methanol molecules in mint makes your mouth feel cold is because the methanol molecules cause the receptors of TRPM8 to open their ion channels and send an action potential to the brain, which in turn causes us to think that out tongue is cold when it is just a tiny pulse of electricity. The cooling sensation can also be interpreted as cold, but in fact is a slight rise in temperature because high concentrations of methanol can cause inflammation. In all, this article in particular fascinated me because I did not know that there was a specific reason as to why mint makes out mouth feel cool, especially since it is concerned with the neurons of the nervous system.
What do you think the longest-running cable television programming event is? The answer might surprise you. The answer to that question is Shark Week, a week-long program on the Discovery Channel dedicated to sharks. However, some experts feel that Shark Week is too heavily focused on shark attacks. In response, Discovery posted several projects themed about Shark Week that isn’t focused on shark attacks. One such project is a way to provide a way to help clean up the ocean by joining the International Coastal Cleanup. Another project is a “treasure hunt” where people all over the globe would report information about “mermaid’s purses” also known as shark egg cases. A project that one could do on vacation is reporting information after one goes SCUBA diving. Although this project requires a lot more effort, it is still a way to help out the ocean. As a scuba diver, I have been told that scuba divers are the ocean’s representatives. They directly see the effects of humanity in the ocean. PADI referred to scuba divers as “ambassadors” and this project shows that other divers agree that it is vital to protect the ocean. For people living in New England, there is a project that uses sightings of basking sharks and sunfish to help monitor migration patterns. This also helps scientists monitor the local populations of the organisms in the wild. Another project that could be done on vacation is photographing whale sharks in the wild. The photos help find out information that can be used to protect the threatened whale sharks. Lastly, something that you can do in your house right now is to sign up for the Ocean Santuraries’ Marine Citizen Science Certification course to get more information about sharks. In conclusion, there are several ways suggested by the Discovery channel to help protect and gather more information about sharks.
This week I was most intrigued by the article featuring the aspect of mint making your mouth feel cool. Let me begin by saying that I myself have asked the same question Grant Currin, the author, asks: "Why does mint make your mouth feel cool?" The cool feeling that is felt in the mouth is really due to the biological component mint mainly produces called menthol. This molecule that mint produces is believed to be an "evolutionary marvel" as the ancestors of this plant probably began producing these chemicals to evade and prevent predators. This molecule found in mint plants prevented them from being eaten which in turn was continually passed down through the coming generations. The menthol in mint actually tricks us into feeling cold even though it's not true. Our bodies aren't actually cold; the menthol affects the system of sensory receptors which is related to our senses such as touch, temperature, etc. The somatosensory system is really the system responsible for the sensation from mint. This system is made of a complex network of neurons. These neurons sense different feelings such as hot or cold temperatures.Specifically, when these neurons sense menthol, specialized proteins (embedded in the cell membranes), such as TRPM8, allow ions to pass through the membrane. Soon an electric signal is triggered, known as an action potential, which the neurons convey to the brain. The brain "reads" the action potential conveying that coldness receptors were activated in the tongue. This leads us to believe that our tongues feel cold. "'The cooling is all sensation,'" says Paul Wise. Menthol really can lead to inflammation in the area affected and maybe an increase in temperature. Wise concluded by saying, "'A main reason we're sensitive in our mouth, eyes and nose to things like chili pepper and menthol is because the nerve endings are so near the surface.'" Therefore, it's all really just a "sensation," as the article puts it.
Today I am commenting on the article “Viral Reproduction and Replication” by Vincent Racaniello. In the context of the fourth edition of Principals of Virology, reproduction is the production of nucleic acids and replication is the production of new infectious virus particles. This reflects our increasing understanding of viruses. In 1898 virus were thought to be “contagious living fluids”. In 1939 it was found that viruses were separate and individual particles. In 1935, the crystallization of the tobacco mosaic virus lead many to believe that they were chemicals. The scientist that carried out the expirement classified them as infectious proteins. Only in 1952 was the term replication ever used.
For this week, I chose the article “Five Fin-tastic projects for a Shark Week”. I honestly feel that even though sharks are deadly creatures, they should definitely not be mistreated and looked down upon the way they are. Discovery Magazine posted several links on their website that can help sharks or help experts understand sharks better. One link takes you to the Ocean Conservancy website, which has a map to help you find local ocean cleanups. Though these cleanups aren't directly for sharks, they certainly do help them because they help make the sharks' habitat cleaner and safer for them to live in. The next link talks about how people should report finding egg cases/mermaid purses so that experts can understand sharks better. Another link presented a project that let scuba divers share their diving experience to help scientists learn more about the change in shark and ray populations over time. After reading through the rest of the projects, all of which had somewhat similar goals, I realized that sharing observations with experts can help us understand and protect sharks much better to help spare them from the possibility of endangerment or extinction.
I found the article entitled “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” very interesting. When I was younger I didn’t like the cool sensation that came from mint. I’m happy to now know the biological explanation for my discomfort. Menthol and other compounds that manipulate flavors boded well for plants in natural selection. I found it ironic that plants produced menthol to keep them from being eaten, but humans have repurposed it for flavoring and decongestants. The article detailed the process of a stimulus being picked up by neurons and generating an action potential by crossing a membrane. TRPM8 proteins, which are associated with coldness, open ion channels and the brain detects the pulse as something cold. I wonder why eating or drinking things after having minty foods tastes differently. Does it have to do with the neurons that still sense the cold or is it another reason?
Scientists have recently discovered the explanation for the cold sensation people experience while eating mint. Because of the evolutionary capability of mint’s plant ancestors, mint plants synthesize methanol to deter predators similar to the capsaicin produced in chili plants. The methanol in mint affects the somatosensory system, a complex system of nerve cells that responds to changes to the surface or internal state of the body, by interacting with sensory receptors ultimately leading to a cold feeling in the mouth. This process is onset by the receptor proteins on the outside of neuron cell membranes detecting an outside stimulus such as methanol. Consequently, the receptor proteins call for ions channels which allow material to pass through the cell membrane causing ions outside the cell membrane to permeate into the cell inducing an electrical signal to the brain for a cold sense. Specifically, the methanol in mint foods such as mint ice cream stimulate the TRPM8 receptor protein of cell membranes thus promoting ion channels to open and conclusively leading to the widely known cold sensation while eating mint ice cream.
I chose the article “Five Fin-tastic projects for Shark Week.” Sharks are very intriguing creatures, and I have always been conflicted whether I should have been afraid of them or not. Scientists and statistics say that sharks are not a huge threat, and yet the Discovery Channel has an entire week dedicated to shark horror stories. The reality of it is, as I learned in last week’s article on the disturbance that is human voices, sharks are more afraid of humans than we are of them. Sharks are more important for the environment than we think they are, maintaining populations of fish and keeping seagrass healthy, which is why they really should be protected by humans, not feared.
I chose “Why does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” because I chew mint-flavored gum a lot, and I also like Icebreakers, which all create a cool feeling in my mouth. I found out that a certain chemical, known as menthol, is the cause of the cool feeling sensation in the mouth. Scientists believe that the mint-flavored plant originated through natural selection, as they had the favored traits and they had more reproductive success because their predators chose to stay away of them because of their taste. They developed biochemical defense mechanisms and were able to have a longer life span. Now, mint causes our mouth to feel cool by tricking our sensory receptors to feel cold, even though we actually aren’t. The neurons are connected to many proteins that can switch on the cell membrane to allow ions to permeate the cell membrane, and therefore our brain interprets our tongue as being cold, even though it isn’t. Finally, this all occurs because the sensory neurons are so close to the surface of our body, so we can easily be tricked or feel cold or hot, depending on the chemical that we come into contact with.
After reading the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?”, I found it intriguing how we are tricked into thinking that the mouth is cold when it really isn’t. Plants produce menthol as a defense mechanism, the menthol is used to trick the somatosensory system into thinking that the tongue is cold. Before reading this article I thought that these feelings were only caused by neurons sending signals to the brain. After reading this article I realized that there are many key parts to these sensory feelings. I found out that the neurons use proteins in the cell membrane, and once they detected the coldness they open up the ion channels. The ions that are incoming creat an electrical surge called action potential. I learned that the action potential is the messenger to the brain sending the signals. The fact that scientists still do not know the for sure the real reason why the TRPM8 protein is sensitive to the cold, is a reminder on how much more we still have to uncover about the human nervous system.
Tanush Saini
This week I read Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth feel cool, this article intrigued me as I frequently use mint, and I often wondered why my mouth felt so cool and crisp after using mint. It turns out as the reason for this is that mint leafs contain menthol. The plant’s ancestors produced menthol as a sort of biodefense mechanism against predators. I would have never believed this to be the reason for mint being cool. The science behind why mint makes one’s mouth is that menthol tricks our bodies into feeling cold. This is because sensory neurons under the skin sense the environment using specialized proteins on the cell membrane which allow ions to permeate through the cell membrane when they sense heat. This applies to menthol, as TRPM8 receptors open their ion channels and sent action potential to the brain. Overall this article was very interesting and I’m glad i was able to read it
The article “Viral Reproduction and Replication” stuck out to me as I have interests in microbiology and virology. We now know that viruses are nonliving (they don’t meet all the requirements for a living thing) infectious agent that reproduces through hosts. Before, as the articles explains, scientists thought they were “living fluids”, “chemicals”, “proteins”, and much more. However, the Blender Experiments conducted by Martha Chase and Alfred Hershey proved that viruses actually contain DNA and replicate their DNA in bacteriophages, which will form their offspring. In other words, they’ll replicate their genes (in the host) in order to reproduce. These two terms are different, yet scientists have been using the word “replication” to mean both copying DNA and producing offspring. This leads to a little bit of confusion (not a lot since context is usually offered alongside these terms), but in the scientific world, there’s no room for any confusion. So, the term reproduction will now be the designated word for creating offspring (in their textbook, Principles of Virology...whether it will be used commonly in the outside world is unknown). I also read the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?”, which illustrates the evolutionary phenomenon that led mint to stimulate a cold sensations when we chew it. Over time, mint leaves have learned how to produce a molecule called menthol, which affects how we perceive temperature—in this case, coldness. There are proteins in our cell membranes called TRPM8 receptors that conducts the processes that tell your brain that you’re cold, and menthol activates it. Immediately, a small signal is sent through the neurons to the brain and you now know that you’re chilly. This is comparable to capsaicin production in chilies, which, unlike menthol, makes you feel hot. Evolution has done its deed in trying to protect these plants from predation, though it may have objectively backfired as humans eat these plants for the cold and hot sensations.
This week I decided to read the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” as I love the flavor and scent of mint. I found it fascinating that menthol might be produced in mint because the plants’ ancestors may have produced it to keep predators away. According to this article, plants may have evolved compounds to use them for their defense, and the plants that survived were able to reproduce and pass down the genes for these evolved compounds. The reason for why mint makes menthol is very interesting but how does this compound affect humans? Menthol makes our bodies feel as if they are cold, even if they aren’t. It has the ability to affect humans’ sensory receptors which monitor senses such as touch, temperature, and pain. The neurons under the skin that can sense a variety of sensations use specific proteins that are fixed in cell membranes. These proteins control ion channels which are tunnels that allow things to pass through the cell membrane. When they sense chemicals like menthol or heat, the proteins turn on to open their ion channels. Certain proteins turn on when they experience a certain type of stimulus such as coldness. Mint makes people’s mouth feel cold because menthol molecules cause TRPM8 receptors to open their ion channels and sends a signal to the brain. The brain interprets this signal and reads that some of the coldness receptors on the tongue were stimulated. This makes the brain to believe that the tongue is cold even though that is not always true. I found this article to be very interesting as I did not know that mint could have so many effects on the human body.
This week I read the article "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" and I was amazed at what I had learned. The only flavor of gum I have ever liked is peppermint because of the cool, fresh feeling I get by chewing it. I never knew the science behind the cooling flavor, but I had always noticed no other flavor had the same affect. I learned that the reason mint makes our mouths feel cool is because plants produce menthol in mint. Plants do this as a defense mechanism so they would be less likely to be eaten. Menthol tricks our bodies into feeling cold because it affects the somatosensory system, a system of sensory receptors that monitors touch, temperature, and pain. Thinking about it now, the same thing applies with spicy food. When someone eats spicy food, their mouth feels hot. It's interesting to see the science behind everyday occurrences that we normally don't think about.
The third article, "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" written by Grant Currin, is a very fascinating one. I have noticed before that my mouth tends to feel cool when I have anything that has mint in it, but I never knew why, until now. Apparently, it is a "biochemical success story" for plants. Mint contains a special molecule called menthol. Paul Wise believes that plants "probably evolved compounds to use as a defense mechanism, and through natural selection, they found some that happened to work." He also believes that the plants that produce such compounds had a lower chance to be eaten. Menthol is able to trick our bodies into feeling like they are cold, even though we're really not. Menthol affects the somatosensory system, which monitors things like touch, temperature, and pain. Mint makes one's "mouth feel cool because the menthol molecules cause TRPM8 receptors to open their ion channels and send an action potential to the brain." This tiny pulse of electricity is understood as "the tongue is cold." In other words, according to Wise, the cooling was just a sensation. The high concentrations of the menthol result in inflammation, leading to a slight increase in temperature. There still isn't much information on why TRPM8 is vulnerable to coldness and menthol. This is such an interesting article. Honestly, who knew that it was because of the menthol and the TRPM8 being sensitive to it, making mint feel cold in our mouth. Just thinking about that is mind-blowing.
The article that I read was “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool” by Grant Currin. The article explained that the mint plant makes the chemical compound menthol after years of natural selection by using it as a defense mechanism for deterring predators. As a result, the plants survived longer and were able to in turn reproduce and spread “their genes to subsequent generations”. In terms of making our mouth cool, menthol does it by affecting our somatosensory system that is responsible for taste and smell senses. Seok-Yong Lee states that the neurons under the skin can sense sensations and the neurons examine their surroundings using proteins in the cell membranes. When proteins senses menthol, they turn on and allow the ions to go through the cell membrane or an action potential to the brain, telling it that it is cold. The receptors of the protein TRPM8 open and send action potentials to the brain with menthol molecules as well. This article interested me as I understood the part about how electrical signals called action potentials are sent to the brain to tell it that the tongue is cold when I took AP Psychology. It was captivating to see how what I learned from one subject can cross over to other subjects and how my learning can be applied everyday phenomenons. One thing that was fascinating was how much is still left to be found out about why TRPM8 is sensitive to menthol and that it is only a speculation. The article goes to show how much there is left to research and study about the subject.
I found the article, “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cold?” very intriguing and informational. I love eating mint chocolate chip ice cream, chewing mint gum, and rinsing my mouth with “Antiseptic Mouth Rinse”. However, I never realized why chewing, rinsing, or eating mint made my mouth feel cold, so I decided to read this article to gain more knowledge. To start with, evolution plays a major role for why mint has the characteristics it possess now. Mint plants produce capsaicin in chilies and menthol in mint. Scientists deduce that the reason it produces these chemicals is to deter predators, acting like a defense mechanism. Through natural selection and evolution, mint plants that survived long were able to reproduce these traits for many subsequent generations. However, the evolution of mint plants still does not answer the question as to why mint feels cool in a person’s mouth. The answer is that the chemical, menthol, tricks our bodies into feeling cold, though we are actually not. Menthol and capsaicin affect our sensory receptors, which monitor senses like touch, temperature, and pain. The neurons from this specific system monitor the body environment utilizing an array of specialized proteins embedded in the cell membranes. These proteins are responsible for ion channels, which stay closed until the receptor protein detects the stimulus we look for. When that protein senses chemicals or heat in the body, it allows ions to permeate the cell membrane, triggering an action potential. The action potential reads like an electrochemical telegram that says, “some of the coldness receptors on the tongue were triggered.” Nevertheless, the main reason mint makes the mouth feel cold is the menthol molecules also cause TRPM8 receptors to open their ion channels, which send an action potential to the brain. The brain interprets this message as, “the tongue is cold”. The science behind this concept is very fascinating. The process of sending signals through an action potential happens within seconds as soon as we place the mint into our mouths. Scientists now gain a better understanding on how neurons affect our senses and the fact that menthol leads to a slight increase in our body temperatures.
After reading these articles, I found the article " Viral Reproduction and Replication" the most interesting. This article mainly focuses on the fundamental aspects of replication and reproduction. Virologists use the term replication to indicate nucleic acid synthesis and the production of new viral genomes. On the other hand use reproduction when referring to the production of new infectious virus particles. Beijerinck in 1898, had classified viruses as contagious living fluids. Later, in 1935, virologists had discovered that viruses were not organisms but instead were chemicals. They had come to a better understanding of viruses in the later years. Replication had come into the picture only after Hershey and Chase's experiments after studying the bacteriophages. Where they had come to the conclusion that DNA is the genetic material of viruses.
This week, I read the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” by Grant Currin. Right when I saw the title, I was intrigued because I have mint that grows in mass amount in my garden. I’ve always wondered how even one leaf cools your mouth so much. I was surprised that the menthol in the mint causes us to think we’re cold when we’re really not. In fact, it’s the somatosensory system that is affected by the menthol. Seok-Yong Lee said “There are neurons under the skin that can sense different sensations, like hot and cold.” When they sense their hot or cold environment, the proteins open the ion channels, which then allows for the ions to trigger an action potential which the neurons send to the brain. Not only does the menthol in mint cause this process, but also the capsaicin in chilies. It’s very interesting to learn about how this whole process happens. Even though it sounds like a long one, it happens very quickly, if you think about it. We don’t take a lick of mint ice cream and then feel the sensation 5 minutes later; we feel the sensation in almost an instant. It’s interesting to learn this entire process because now I know that mint and hot peppers doesn’t have cold or hot flavors.
This week I read the article, "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" This article highlighted the fact that different chemicals, such as menthol and capsaicin, were evolutionary changes in plants to keep animals from eating them. This makes me wonder if there are other chemicals that react with our nerves and our TRPM8 proteins. If so, what makes them evolutionarily viable for the furthered existence of a plant? It would be interesting to see, in the future, a study about why the TRPM8 protein is sensitive to substances such as menthol and capsaicin.
Evolution has brought many changes to an organism's ability to endure as it increasingly acquires new forms of defense. In the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” by Grant Currin, the article detains how some plants, such as mint and chilies, have evolved to produce molecules that help defend against predators, making them less likely to eat them. This would allow for the plant species to live long enough to reproduce and pass its genes to later generations. The compounds within mint and chilies, menthol and capsaicin, causes the body’s sensory receptors to convey the message of hot or cold. These receptors are apart of the somatosensory system which are responsible for taste and smell. The proteins in cell membranes control ion channels which only open when they receive a suitable stimulus. Once receiving the stimulus, the channels open up to let the ions travel through, causing electrical signals called an action potential, which then goes to the brain. The action potential interprets the signals as different feelings that the consumption of plants, like mint and chilies, might cause. The reason why a molecule such as menthol might cause people to feel cold is because TRPM8 receptors open their channels when and send signals to the brain, which would in turn make the brain think that it is cold. The reason why people are sensitive to such compounds is due to the fact that there are nerves that are close to the surface in the mouth, eyes, and nose.
The first article I read was the “Viral Reproduction and Replication” article, which explained our evolving knowledge of viruses and how they work. Earlier on in textbooks, the word “reproduction” was used generally to describe the processes related to the production of new infectious viruses and nucleic acid synthesis. However, as the knowledge of viruses evolved over many decades and Hershey and Chase showed that DNA is the genetic material of viruses in 1952, the word “replication” is used in textbooks to describe 2 completely different processes. “Replication” is now used in place of “reproduction” because replication relates to viruses while reproduction relates to nucleic acid synthesis. The use of these two terms both makes it less confusing for scientists to communicate and demonstrates better knowledge of viruses.
I then read the “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cold” article because it posed an interesting question that I’ve always wondered. According to the article, mint plants first began to use menthol as a way to fight against predators, since the menthol made the plant less likely for predators to eat. Over generations, the mint leaf’s menthol has still gave people a cooling sensation upon eating mint. The reason mint makes your mouth feel cool is because of menthol molecules that trigger neurons in the somatosensory system, responsible for taste and smell located under the skin. These molecules specifically trigger TRPM8 receptors which open their ion channels, sense coldness, and send action potentials to the brain.
The article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cold?” explained the defense mechanism that plants developed though natural selection to produce compounds making them less likely to be eaten. Natural selection is often associated with the phrase “survival of the fittest” which means that the fittest individuals are those that not only survive, but are able to leave the most offspring behind. In this case, the plants that produced the compounds survived long enough to spread their seeds and pass their genes to succeeding generations. Mint produces a chemical called menthol which basically convinces taste receptors they are exposed to cold. Sensory neurons in our skin and mouth contain a protein called TRMP8. The protein controls an ion channel which regulates the flow of ions between cellular membranes. The ion channels stay closed until the receptor protein detects the chemical or heat. When the menthol binds to TRPM8, the ion channel opens as if the receptor was exposed to cold and this information is signaled to the brain. I was unaware of the fact that the mint doesn’t actually cause the temperature in our mouths to change, and the brain is tricked into feeling the cold sensation by the menthol. Even after spitting the mint out, a little menthol will remain and the sensory neurons will stay sensitized and, therefore, drinking anything cold will cause the neurons to fire again, making your mouth seem extra cold. I was intrigued when I learned that even a hot drink will seem weirdly cool after eating or drinking something with mint.
I read the article, “Viral reproduction and replication”. It explained the difference between replication and reproduction. Replication refers to the production of nucleic acids while reproduction is the production of entire organisms. It also showed how that terminology changed over time for viruses as we discovered more about them. In 1898, people said that viruses reproduce to multiply because they were a living fluid. In 1935, people started to think that viruses were not actually living organisms, but chemicals. However, the term replication only started becoming used after Hershey and Chase discovered that DNA was the genetic material of bacteriophages in 1952.
The article, “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” by Grant Currin, was really fascinating. Most people correlate natural selection to the evolution of animal species; however, plants have also used the technique to protect themselves from their environment. Over time, many plants, such as chili peppers and mint leaves, produced special chemicals as a defense mechanism. Plants without these special chemicals were more likely to be eaten than those that contained them. The genes were inherited by the plant offspring and passed along to future generations. These chemicals have a very interesting effect on humans. Both capsaicin in chili peppers and menthol in mint leaves affect the somatosensory system. This system includes specialized neurons that control touch, temperature, and pain. Proteins in cell membranes control small ion channels. When the proteins are stimulated, the ions bind with the cell membrane and an action potential is sent to the brain. The brain then interprets the signal and sends a message to the body. Menthol stimulates the protein, TRPM8, which is associated with coldness. This protein opens ion channels and an action potential is sent to the brain. The brain reads the signal as a cool sensation and then sends that message to the body. Therefore, the reason why mint makes people feel cold is really due to the brain interpreting an electrical impulse sent from the protein, TRPM8. Most people associate mint with a cool sensation; however, the human brain is actually the cause of this feeling. The comprehension of natural selection and the complex system of nerves in the human body led to this amazing discovery.
This week I read “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” and it caught my attention how different compounds and chemicals have similar effects on the body whether it’s really cold or hot. Mint and chili are two plants that have those type of compounds that trick the somatosensory system into thinking that our body is actually hot or cold. The compound in mint is called menthol and tricks the body by opening the ion channel and releases TRPM8 which makes our body feel cool. Also the reason why we feel it more on our eyes, nose, or mouth is because the neurons sensory receptors are close to these surfaces than our skin. What’s also interesting is the fact that these plants have developed and evolved into having those effects to ward off any predators or use it as a defense mechanism. This is also why mint and chili give those effects even though in reality we are not hot or cold. These sensory neurons also trick our brain into thinking that our body is called due to the ion channels opening and allowing menthol and capsaicin to flow throw them and that’s what gives us those feelings of being cold and hot.
It is interesting to see how every sensation or movement that the human body undergoes is controlled by a network of complex processes which occur amongst biological systems. The interactions of systems to provide for biological functions is demonstrated in the way humans experience the sensation of cold when eating mint, or the sensation of heat when eating chili. The unique properties of mint and chili are discussed in “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cold?”. Mint and chili contain the molecules menthol and capsaicin, respectively. These molecules result in a cooling or burning sensation when consumed. The mint and chili plants likely evolved these molecules as en evolutionary defense against predators. Those ancestral plants which had developed the menthol and capsaicin molecules would have been favored by natural selection, as predators would not have found the cooling and heating sensations appealing. As a result, over generations of natural selection and inheritance, the mint and chili plants evolved their distinctive tastes, due to two important molecules. Beyond an evolutionary standpoint, there is an interesting mechanism behind the perception of the cooling and burning effect. Within the body is a system of neurons responsible for allowing for the perception of temperature and touch. This somatosensory system consists of neurons located under the skin and bodily surfaces. The neurons contain a variety of ion channels embedded within the cell membrane. These channels are controlled by various receptor proteins. These receptor proteins will activate in response to certain molecules or changes in temperature, and allow the ion channels to open up. As the ion channels accept ions from the environment, an electrical charge ill be generated within the neuron. This charge, known as action potential, will be transmitted to the brain. The brain will then interpret a given sensation. When a person eats mint or chili, the menthol and capsaicin compounds activate the receptor proteins, which then allow for electrical charges to be transmitted to the brain. The brain perceives a sensation of cold or heat, even when no temperature change has occurred, because the biochemical responses that would occur in response to temperature change have been activated.
Of the three articles, I was most intrigued by the article titled “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?”. Before reading this article, I never pondered the idea behind the reasons that mint makes my mouth feel cool. Now that I think about it, whenever I have mint in a specific food item, I feel a fresh and cool feeling in my mouth. I didn’t know that there was an actual explanation behind it. According to this article, mint has a chemical named menthol that may have been produced by the plant for evolutionary reasons. Natural selection may have played a role in the production of the chemical menthol. It seems that this plant produced compounds to use as defense against predators. This helped the plants because it prevented the mint from being eaten. It eventually evolved into the chemical menthol. When eaten, the menthol in mint causes an action potential to be sent to the brain which send the message that “the tongue is cold”. The thing that intrigued me though, is that the cooling is only a sensation. Surprisingly, the high concentrations of menthol actually cause inflammation, which causes heat to produce. This caused me to think about why most gum products are mint flavored. Gum is supposed to provide a fresh sensation in the mouth which explains why most companies make gum products in mint flavors since mint offers this type of cool feeling. After reading this text, I will take the information from this article into consideration when eating food items containing mint.
This week I read the article "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" because I am a person who enjoys mint-flavored foods and wanted to know the science behind this phenomenon. I was amazed by the things that I learned from reading this article. I learned that mint produces the chemical menthol and chilies produce the chemical capsaicin to deter predators. The menthol in mint tricks people's brains into thinking they feel cold even though they actually aren't. This occurs because menthol affects the somatosensory system in the human body which is made up of sensory receptors that detect touch, temperature, and pain. This was interesting to me because I did not know before that there was a specific system of sensory receptors in our bodies that can be affected by the menthol in mint. The article also explained that when proteins in our body sense chemical or heat, they are activated and allow ions to pass through the cell membrane. The protein that is affected in this case is called TRPM8. It is associated with coldness and it opens its ion channels to let ions in when it senses the presence of something cold or menthol molecules. This sends an electrical signal called an action potential to the brain. The brain immediately receives this message as "the tongue is cold" even though it isn't and this causes us to feel a cooling sensation. The article also states that scientists aren't entirely sure why TRPM8 is receptive to coldness and menthol but hopefully the reason for this will be discovered in the future. This article provided a great explanation of why this occurs whenever we eat something mint-flavored and it helped me understand it very well. I enjoyed reading this article and found it to be very informational.
As a big fan of shark week, I read “Five Fin-tastic projects for Shark Week”. Overall, the ideas presented on the page encourage education about sharks. While many people fear sharks, I personally think they are fascinating. As a top predator in the food chain, they play an important ecological role in oceans. The article introduces interactive ways to promote keeping sharks safe. It gives information on an international coastal cleanup, and it stresses ways to advance shark research by suggesting to report sitings of shark egg cases, or shark encounters in the ocean. It even presents a Marine Citizen Science Certification course that someone can take to learn more about sharks.
I also took interest in the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?”. As the article explains, through natural selection, plants that produced compounds like menthol (made by mint) or capsaicin (made by chilies) were more fit than those without them. Therefore, we are left with mint that produces menthol, and it is the menthol itself that makes the mouth feel cool. Although the tongue does not truly become cold, menthol molecules cause TRPM8 protein receptors embedded in the cell membrane to open their ion channels and send an action potential to the brain, which makes our tongue feel could. The process of membrane transport and how the movement of ions across the cell membrane can cause such a sensation is very intriguing to me. The article made me think of how the cold feeling is enhanced when I drink water after chewing mint gum. From the article, I can infer the somatosensory system is affected when doing so as well, yet I would like to look more into it.
I read the article, “Why does mint make your mouth feel cool,” and I learned so many things that I never knew about mint. Chili’s produce capsaicin as a molecule and mint produces menthol. Scientists believe that these plants produce these molecules to prevent predators from attacking them. I learned that plants evolved compounds that was used as a defense against predators and natural selection selected the best compounds that defended the plants properly. The plants with the best compounds survived the longest to reproduce and pass their genes onto their offspring. Therefore, mint makes menthol. Even if we are not cold, that menthol fools our bodies into thinking it’s cold. Capsaicin in chilis and menthol in mint impact the sensory receptors in our bodies. These control our sense of touch, temperature, and pain. It is called the somatosensory system, and it is different from the one that controls our sense of smell and taste. There are iron channels in our cell membranes and they open when a certain protein is activated. For example, protein TRPM8 has to do with coldness and it is activated when you lick ice cream. Menthol causes protein TRPM8 to open the ion channels and send an action to the brain, that makes it seem as if the tongue is cold even if it’s not. In conclusion, this article was my favorite from all three articles and I learned a lot of new information about how menthol can trick our brain.
Out of the three articles I read “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” because I was eager to know the answer to this question. I never realized that there is something biological behind this. I had always assumed that my mouth became cold because I was consuming frozen ice cream. The author discussed how natural selection plays a role in this biochemical marvel. Natural selection is when desirable traits are passed on from parent to offspring. These traits make it easier for organisms to survive and reproduce. In the case of mint, these plants have evolved a defense mechanism where they make menthol. This protects them from being eaten by their predators and they therefore pass on this helpful gene through following generations. Menthol causes the mouth to feel cool by tricking our bodies. Along with menthol, capsaicin affects sensory receptors, known as the somatosensory system, which are a complex network of neurons. They sense the environment by using proteins located in the cell membrane which have ion channels. The channel opens once a stimulus is recognized by a receptor protein. The ions that pass across the membrane trigger an action potential, or electrical signal, which the neurons then send to the brain. The action potential notifies the brain when coldness receptors located on the tongue are triggered and sends this to the brain to interpret. TRPM8 is a protein which associates with coldness. Menthol molecules also force TRPM8 receptors to open ion channels, transferring action potential to the brain. This message is translated into “the tongue is cold”. Paul Wise reasons, “The cooling is all sensation”. I was surprised that this feeling is artificial and that the brain is being fooled into thinking the tongue is cold. Next time I chew on minty gum or eat mint chocolate chip ice cream, I will understand the reason behind the cooling feeling. This makes me wonder if there are other plants, like mint, who have evolved defense mechanisms which cause us to experience different sensations in our mouths.
In “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool” written by Grant Currin explains how mint causes a cool feeling in the mouth. Menthol is one thing that causes this feeling in the mouth. Currin explains that the chemicals that causes this first appeared in ancestors of the plants by a mutation. This chemical deterred predators leading causing it to have a higher chance of surviving and producing more offspring through natural selection. This then led to it being able to pass on its genes for these chemicals to its offspring and further generations. Menthol affects the somatosensory system which is a system of sensory receptors that affect pain, touch, as well as temperature. Under the skin are neurons that have embedded specialized proteins within their membranes that are able to monitor its environment. Ion channels are controlled by the proteins and open only when the correct stimulus is detected by the receptor protein. When they sense a chemical or heat the proteins let ions go through the cells membrane, thus triggering an action potential, which is a small electrical signal that travels to the brain. This action signal can be interpreted as coldness. The majority of receptor proteins are specialized in opening their ion channel upon detecting a specific stimulus. The protein TRPM8 is commonly associated with coldness and sends an action potential to the brain. So menthol causes the receptors of TRPM8 to create action potentials to the brain which is interpreted as coldness on the tongue even when it is not. It is also added that the sensitivity in the mouth is due to the closeness to the nerve endings to the surface. I thought that this article was very interesting. When I was a kid I could barely stand anything with mint in it as it felt so cold. Now I understand how menthol in mint is able to lead to action potential being sent to the brain which leads to the feeling of coldness in the mouth. The article also explains that this is similar to something that happens in chili peppers but capsaicin.
Many people adore mint flavored foodies but might have never thought about the reason behind the cold sensation they feel afterwards. Many scientists believe that mints’ ability to produce menthol is so that they can deter predators. When they produce menthol animals are less likely to eat them, leading to natural selection resulting in evolution. The plants that were fittest, or those that were able to survive long enough to reproduce, passed on their traits to the next generation. In this case, the mint plants with menthol were able to reproduce more successfully leading to more plants with menthol compared to other types of mint plants. The menthol in these plants makes our body feel as though it is cold due to its effect on the somatosensory system, a system that contains a complex network of neurons that monitor things like touch, temperature, and pain. The proteins that the neurons use control ion channels, which stay closed unless they are stimulated. Once they sense their stimulus, they allow the ions to permeate the cell membrane, which triggers a signal sent to the brain. This signal tells the brain about the coldness receptors that were triggered on the tongue and causes the brain to think that your tongue is cold. The protein TRPM8 is the protein most associated with the cool sensation and is the main reason why your brain thinks your tongue is cold. I was fascinated by this article, “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool,” because of the way the author describes the pathway that goes on in the cells. It is interesting to see how all of the parts of your body work together in order to induce signals and come to certain conclusions.
In many textbooks, one will read the word replication and reproduction thinking that they mean the same thing. In reality, the terms have different meanings. Replication indicates that new virus particles or viral genomes are being produced. Reproduction is used to convey that there is a production of new infectious virus particles. In the beginning, the term reproduction was used instead of replication. Eventually, the word replication was introduced, though it was only preferred by chemists. Replication was used to study viruses. Currently, almost every virologist uses the term replication instead of reproduction, in order to highlight the synthesis of a new virus particles or new genomes. The article “Viral Reproduction And Replication” helped me understand the distinguishing factors between the two terms: replication and reproduction.
I read the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” by Grant Currin, this article was intriguing because many of the products I use, such as my toothpaste and mouth. I have been intrigued about how these products cause your mouth to feel cold. The original applications of these plants was to deter away insects and after the problem had disappeared the plants and no need to evolve back so they kept reducing menthol. This is like the human appendix, it is not needed by the human body but it could have had an application many years ago that is not persistent now.
The article “Why does mint make your mouth feel cool?” intrigued me the most because I am quite curious about the answer. I never really thought about the science behind it before, I always assumed it was similar to how spice effects us. The article explains that mint produces menthol like chilies create capsaicin. This is a form of defense mechanism to protect themselves, in the plant’s case, from being eaten by any predators. By natural selection, plants that produced such compounds were able to survive longer than plants that did not, since capsaicin or menthol isn’t pleasant to consume in large amounts due to the unique sensation. This sensation is essentially menthol tricking our bodies into thinking we are feeling cold. The somatosensory system is effected by menthol or capsaicin, which consists of receptors that look over temperature, pain, and touch. Mint feels cold on our tongues because the protein TRPM8 opens its ion channels when it detects mint on the tongue, it allows the ions to penetrate the cell membrane and in turn sends an action potential to the brain. The brain interprets the signal that neurons relay as a cold feeling, similar to when a person is eating ice or licking ice cream. But, the tongue isn’t actually cold, it’s only a sensation caused by the menthol molecules. I find this to be pretty fascinating because chemicals are basically tricking our brains in to thinking that tongue is something that it is actually not. Ironically, the purpose of menthol in mint is to deter away predators, but the sensation caused by menthol molecules is what attracts people now. In a similar fashion, capsaicin is enjoyed by people because of the spicy, numbing sensation that it creates.
When reviewing the articles, I believed that the article “Viral Reproduction and Replication” the most interesting simply because of the vast unclearness of the biological principles behind viruses. We may have known them some 150 years ago but we still don’t fully understand it’s properties. The unknown about the viruses intrigued me. Not long ago viruses when thought to be chemicals rather than a living organism. The article focused on the reproduction of viruses. I also found interesting the distinction between the two words replication and reproduction. Although I was a bit confused at first, I understood that reproduction was designated to viral multiplication while replication was designated to nucleic acid synthesis. This word usage proves that scientists are specific with designating words with understandings to never confuse two alike concepts. As said in the article, having different terms removes “ the ambiguity in the discussion.” Summers was a leading pioneer behind virology as he helped disprove some of the basic understandings behind virology as disproving the popular understanding that viruses were a chermical.
It was interesting to find out that the reason for mint and peppers making your mouth feel the way they do was from previous generations deterring predators. Grant Currin, author of the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” details how menthol found in mint tricks our body into thinking out mouth is cold. This feeling acted as a defense against predators which made those plants live longer since they were not eaten as much. Menthol in mint works similarly as capsaicin in chilies but instead it tricks our mouths into feeling the opposite. Reading this article additionally lead me learn something new in science. Specifically, I found that TRPM8 is the protein that causes your mouth to feel cold such as when you lick ice cream. The reasoning for the cold feeling mint gives involves TRPM8 recognizing menthol which sends a message to the brain with the feeling the mouth is cold. After reading this article I was surprised to learn that the coldness felt from mints is actually a false feeling where the mouth is not really cold.
Recently I was reading an article about capsaicin and how it makes your mouth feel “hot”. So when I saw the article on how mint does basically the same thing, and read the article, I realized it was much more complex than what I originally thought. The article I read this week was “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” The reason why plants evolved the cool feeling in the first place was to stay alive. How exactly they do it however is because of menthol produced by mint. It tricks your mouth into feeling cold by affecting the somatosensory system. Within this system there are certain neurons under the skin that are able to sense hot and cold using receptor proteins. Once these proteins detect a certain protein or heat, they release a tiny electrical signal that tells the brain that “the tongue is cold”. However, some proteins open their channels when they detect a stimulus (like TRPM8 in the article). In cases like these the brain could be sent a signal saying that the tongue is cold, even if it is not. It is important to note that even though your tongue feels cold it’s not actually cold, and this is purely a sensation. This appears to be the same with spicy food (although it likely is not the same protein).
Scientists have made an effort to make clear the distinction between reproduction and replication in terms of virology. Replication refers to the production of new nucleic acids being formed. Reproduction refers to when new infectious virus particles are produced. The properties of viruses have been widely disputed and changing over time. Scientists have understood it as a fluid, chemicals, and proteins over the course of history. The term replication wasn’t used until DNA was determined to be the genetic material of viruses. The distinction between the two terms that has been established in modern times allows scientists to understand specifically which process is being discussed. The third article describes how mint gives a cooling sensation to the mouth. The reason for this phenomenon is biochemical--capsaicin and menthol cause this sensation in chiles and mint, respectively. Scientists theorize that the production of these chemicals resulted from defense mechanisms of plants. What menthol does specifically, however, is tricks our mouths into feeling cold through affecting sensory receptors. These receptors utilize proteins in cell membranes to monitor the body’s surrounding environment. These proteins control ion channels that matter pass through and remain closed until a certain stimulus is detected. Stimuli trigger an action potential, as ions are then allowed to flow through the channels. Specifically, menthol from mint causes TRPM8 protein receptors to open their channels. The brain receives an action potential that “says” that it “feels cold” when it truly doesn’t. The fact that nerve endings are near the surface explains why humans are often so sensitive to spicy or cold sensations.
I read the article, “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” By Grant Currin. Although the current question this article has been based on hasn’t been completely answered or understood, I would like to raise other questions. How do plants decide what defense system to use? Why is mint cold instead of hot? Why are chili peppers hot instead of cold? My hypothesis is that if plants are evolving to use a defense system, then they can determine which one is most effective through a series of trial and error. Whichever system works will continue to evolve as the others die, or are eaten. Another question I would like to pose is why would mint continue to release methanol, as a defense mechanism, if it has become its most attractive feature? The same goes for chili peppers. Rather than protect the plant, it makes it more desirable to eat as it now has a significant taste.
The article I read was “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” The thing that interested me about this article was the affects, and the biological processes that goes behind the cooling process in the taste of mint. According to the biological blueprint of mint, it is created out of a chemical known as menthol. Alongside mint is chilies, which has an equal but opposite affect on us humans, the product is created of a chemical known as “capsaicin.” According to the article, scientists believe that the ancestors of both plants created the chemical compounds to deter predators from infesting on them. This biological defense mechanism acts as a perfect bridge into the process of natural selection; as the plants created more of the chemicals, the chances of the plants being eaten became incredibly low. Through this defense mechanism, the plant types were able to flourish in the natural environment spreading more and more of the same plants. Now, in terms of why mint and chilies make our bodies feel hot or cold depends on a trick caused by the chemicals ( menthol and capsaicin.) In the human body when something like a mint is ingested, the menthol chemical tricks the sensory receptors in the brain causing the body to feel cold even though it really isn’t feeling cold. Furthermore, the most important system that gets compromised during this affect is the somatosensory system, this system harbors the responsibilities of allowing us to taste and smell and when chilies, or mints are infested this system becomes tricked. Also, the overall significance of ingesting these plants can be studied on a neurological level; the neurons and proteins that are packed together sense the environment, and allow our bodies to act naturally to the environment around us, however when products like mint can trick the brain It becomes amazing to see how something so tiny and insignificant can completely change our bodies.
The article that I read this week was “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool” by Grant Currin. This article really caught my attention because it talks about the flavor of gum I chew daily. I didn't know why the mint flavored gum
makes my mouth feel cold until I read this article. The reason behind this cool feeling in my mouth is the menthol. Menthol actually doesn’t make our mouth feel cold, it tricks our sensory receptors in thinking there is something cold in the mouth and then making the brain think there is something cold in the mouth. The human has neurons u see watch the skin and it can sense whether something is hot or cold. These neurons have special proteins in the cell membrane which has tiny tunnels called ion channels which “allows matter to pass through the cell membrane.” Once the chemical is detected, an action potentiometer is triggered and send a signal to the brain stating there is something cold in the mouth. The stimulus that is detected in ice cream that makes your mouth feel cold is called TRPM8. This stimulus is activated when menthol is detected in the mouth thus making the mouth feel cool. Overall, the cool is nothing but a sensation due to the TRPM8 and our neurons.
The article I chose to read this week was “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?”. I already knew that chilies taste spicy because they have capsaicin which once in contact with our tongue makes us feel like it’s spicy. The reason why I chose to read this article was because I wanted to know if mint had the same reasoning as the chilies. Also I didn’t know the scientific reasoning behind this so the article was a good chance to find out. First of all, compounds like capsaicin and menthol were created so that the plants are less likely to be eaten by predators. These plants pass on these traits to their offspring and this process happens repeatedly. But this still doesn’t tell us why mint makes our mouth feel cold. The neurons under the skin use specialized proteins to sense the environment. These proteins control the ion channels that can allow matter to pass through the cell membrane. When the receptor protein senses the chemical or heat, it allows ions to permeate the cell membrane. Those ions trigger an electrical signal, called an action potential, that neurons send to the brain. The action potential reads "some of the coldness receptors on the tongue were triggered.” So the brain interprets this message as "the tongue is cold,” but this doesn’t happen all the time. A receptor protein called TRPM8 is mostly related to coldness. So, menthol molecules cause TRPM8 receptors to open their ion channels and send an action potential to the brain. The brain automatically interprets the message as “the tongue is cold.” When I first read this process, I was fascinated by how all these steps happen so fast. Because if we think about it the minute our tongue touches mint or ice cream, we get a cold feeling in our mouth.
The article “Viral Reproduction and Replication” is quite fascinating. According to the fourth edition of the textbook Principles of Virology, the term replication is used to indicate nucleic acid synthesis. In contrast, the concept of reproduction designates the production of new infectious virus particles. In 1898, viruses were described as “contagious living fluids”. The bacteriophages observed in an electron microscope in 1938, concluded that the viruses were separate individual particles. In 1935, the crystallization of tobacco mosaic virus directed many to assume that viruses were chemicals. Nevertheless, Hershey and Chase discovered that DNA was the genetic material of viruses. The two distinct definitions of these terms lead to a better understanding of viruses. I believe that this generates easier communication among scientists.
The article "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" was very interesting. I never knew why mint flavored foods made my mouth feel cold. The article discussed how menthol, used as a defense system in the mint plant, is behind the cool sensation we feel. Menthol tricks our body, specifically receptor protein TRPM8, into feeling cold when it really isn't. TRPM8 sends an action potential to the brain and our brain understands the message from the protein as the tongue being cold. It really is fascinating how this cool sensation comes from a neurons and a receptor protein. I also find it interesting how the menthol in the mint is able to trick the body into feeling something not actually real. The cold we feel is all because of the interpretation of TRPM8 and the opening of its ion channels.
The article I chose to read this week was, "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" This is a very intriguing article as it discusses why mint makes menthol and how it tricks your nervous system into thinking that it is cold. I learned that menthol and capsaicin effect the system of sensory receptors which monitor things like touch, temperature and pain. This system is called the somatosensory system and it is significantly different than the systems which are responsible for touch and smell. Seok-Yong Lee, an associate professor of biochemistry at Duke University stated that there are multiple neurons under the human body's skin which sense conditions like hot and cold. I also learned that these neurons use specialized proteins which are located in the cell membrane. Then, the proteins control small tunnels known as ion channels that controls passes through the cell membrane. Once the proteins sense heat, they turn on and allow ions to permeate the cell membrane. To conclude, the reason why your mouth feels cold after eating a mint is because menthol molecules causes TRPM8 receptors to open their ion channels and send an action l to the brain. As a result, the tiny pulse of electricity is read as as something is cold even when it's not. To conclude, this was a very interesting article because I never knew what in the body would determine if your body feels cold or hot. Now, I understand that proteins, neurons, etc. play a large part in this.
For this week, I chose the article “Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?”, due to the intriguing title and description. I was genuinely fascinated by this topic, because of how I can make relations to the circumstances discussed. For example, the author analyzes biochemical processes that cause humans to feel cooler due to minty flavor, or warmer due to spicy flavors. The reasons are described to be based on special molecules in such plants such as capsaicin in chilies, or methanol in plants. Scientists also speculate that such molecules were produced due to evolution to help deter predators. Sensory receptors cause our mouths to be tricked into feeling cool because of methanol. Neurons in this system use specialized proteins with ion channels, which stay closed until a receptor protein finds a specific stimulus. A tremendous and extraordinary phenomenon of this system is the action potential, which is a signal triggered to the brain about the characteristics of the receptors. It is fascinating since even though the brain may percieve an item as cold, due to a protein TRPM8, it may not be as cold in reality. This is demonstrated since high methonal concentrations may even increase temperature but gives off cold recepetors. All in all, this article was quite unique with the variety of scientific facts that are still being experimented.
I read the article “Why does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?”, which reaffirmed my belief that mint chocolate chip ice cream is the best flavor. I mean it gives you that cool feeling on a hot summer day without a brain freeze. Why does mint make your mouth feel cool? The answer is menthol, menthol affects the system of sensory receptors that monitor things such as touch, temperature and pain. It is called the somatosensory system, which is a complex network of neurons. These neurons monitor the environment using an array of specialized proteins embedded in the cell membranes. The proteins control tiny tunnels called ion channels that allow matter to pass through the cell membrane. The ion channels stay closed until the receptor protein detects a stimulus, such as chemicals or heat. Once the ions permeate the cell membrane, they trigger an electric signal called an action potential. The brain is able to recognize that the tongue is cold because it’s coldness receptors were triggered. I find all this fascinating, especially knowing that mind developed this effect as a defense mechanism against predators.
The article "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" was interesting because it describes the cool sensation of mint and the hot sensation of chili pepper as a beneficial trait for plants that helps them survive. However, this is only true because it made these plants "less likely to be eaten". The hotness of a chili pepper deters animals from it because animals do not want the spicy food. However, the cold taste of mint does not seem bad as that of a chili pepper allowing animals to eat it. An amazing event of this system is the action potential which is a signal triggered to the brain about the characteristics of the receptors. It is amazing since even though the brain may view an item as cold, due to a protein TRPM8, it may not be as cold in reality. The cold we feel is all because of the interpretation of TRPM8 and the opening of its ion channels. This is very interesting because even though something may not be cool due to a certain chemical in the food our brain perceives it as being cool.
As a mint lover, I decided to read the article, “ Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?” which discusses and explains the reasoning behind why mint makes your mouth feel cool. The author of this article, begins with talking about how scientists think that the plants' ancestors might have begun producing the chemicals to deter predators. As the article continues, the author explains how the mint makes our mouth feel cool. The author does this by talking about the chemical compound, menthol. In short, the author mentions that menthol tricks our bodies into feeling cold, even though we're not. I found this very fascinating as even though the brain may perceive an item as cold, it may actually not be cold and this is all due to a protein called TRPM8. Moving on, the author explains how both menthol and capsaicin affect the somatosensory system, which is a complex network of neurons. This system is different from the systems responsible for taste and smell. After this, the author explains that the most significant reason humans are sensitive in our mouth, eyes and nose to plants like menthol and chili pepper is because the nerve endings are very close to the surface. Overall, this article was very intuiting and interesting and it has motivated me to do extra research on this mind boggling topic.
I read the article, “Why does mint make your mouth feel cold?” This article was interesting because the author mentions how this biochemical process of developing certain tastes in plants such as mint or spicy chilies, is a defense tactic against predators. Through natural selection, the plants determined which smell or taste was the most effective. This is the reason that a mint plant makes menthol, but when it comes to why your mouth feels cold when you consume mint, the science is a whole different thing. Technically, menthol’s chemical structure tricks our body into feeling cold, even though it really isn’t. When menthol touches your tongue, certain cold receptors are triggered and send a signal to your brain saying that these neurons felt something cold, when really all the menthol really did was just activate these neurons. “‘The cooling is all sensation,’ Wise said. If anything, high concentrations of menthol can cause local inflammation, which would lead to a slight increase in temperature” (Currin). This is definitely interesting because even though the cold feeling is just a sensation because of the receptors being triggered, the body could have picked hot but actually picked cold. So for all we know, mint could have made our mouth feel cold! At the end of the day, it’s really just the fact that the nerve receptors are near your tongue and that’s why mint feels cold.
As a person who loves mint chocolate chip ice cream and gum, I decided to read the article, "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" I have always wondered why mints feels cold when you eat one and i finally know why. The plants that produce these compounds did it for survival. The mint flavor could deter animals and stop them from eating the leaves. This menthol, created to deter animals, is satisfying for humans. this is because the menthol tricks or sensory receptors into thinking that it is cold. Menthol molecules also cause TRPM8 receptors to open their ion channels and send an action potential to the brain, which automatically interprets the tiny pulse of electricity as the tongue is cold even when it's not. this is why mints feel cold when you eat them.
This week I read “ Why does mint make your mouth feel cool?”. Mint is a common flavor used in candy, ice cream, and gum, and i have always wondered why your mouth feels cooler than usual. This article stated that the reason behind this was because mint leaves contain menthol. Mint evolved into making compounds such as menthol for defense mechanisms . This affects the somatosensory system. This system is in charge of aspects such as temperature and touch. Menthol triggers TRMP8 receptors which are proteins associated with coldness. These send signals to the brain which make it think that the mouth is cold, when given that sensation. This article was very intriguing and helpful because I never knew the scientific explanation behind this cool sensation. Overall, i learned about the several uses of a mint leaf, and about the cooling sensation they give.
After reading these articles about the scientific research and study about cells, I have realized that scientists do not have all of the answers. Disease and development of new life forms are growing rapidly. The cause of all of this is simple, yet so complex; cells. It has been 350 years since cells have been discovered, from the cork tree. They were classified as the “building blocks of life”. Cells are the reason and answer for many medical mysteries, diseases, and scientific breakthroughs, however scientists still don’t know why this is. There are many questions scientists still have about the behavior and processes of cells during the different stages of its life. There are several questions stressed in “5 things we (still) don't know about cells”. It talks about why a muscle cell is not a neuron. Every cell contains DNA and genomes to carry out its functions and to determine its structure. Also, scientists are able to determine the structure and function of each type of cell. For example, muscle cells produce force, contract,and relax, and neurons have axons and dendrites that help respond to environmental stimuli. Using microscopes and study, scientists can determine this, but can not determine why these things occur. Scientists have also questions the stages of a cells life. They can identify the stages of a cells life, but these stages are not explained, they can not be categorized, and scientists can not understand the stage where a cell becomes diseased. We already know that cells are given instructions by DNA and genomes, but what we don’t know is how each cell is given its function using just 4 components. Also how tiny eggs and embryos can turn into human beings. It is almost unimaginable to think about what determines whether or not a cell will turn into a beating heart, or a breathing lung. The struggle to understand cells continues and scientists are working to figure out its mysteries in order to prevent disease, create drugs, and regrow new organs to help critical patients in need of transplants.
The article I chose is “Five Fin-tastic projects for Shark Week.” Personally, one of my favorite animals is the shark. Sharks are often misunderstood due to their scary features, but I think that they have a lot more to offer than just their scary features. Similar to how lions are portrayed as kings of the jungle, I think that sharks should be portrayed as kings of the ocean. In this article, there are several ways that we can help out by offering our service to guide research and help protect our oceans and sharks. The egg cases of sharks often referred to as a “mermaid’s purse” is something that can be reported to researchers to help with their studies on sharks and topics like species distribution. A project known as the Sunfish project asks for reports about shark and sunfish sightings to help determine migration patterns. There is also a global network of shark observers that gather information on sharks and other ocean animals. The Ocean Conservancy website is also linked, which offers volunteer opportunities by locating local ocean cleanups, which help sharks and other underwater species because it gives them a safer and healthier habitat. Many of the projects linked to this article contribute to the research and healthy lives of sharks, which I support fully.
I read the article "Why Does Mint Make Your Mouth Feel Cool?" The article explains the multiple reasons on why your mouth feels cold when you eat mint and the process your body goes through for the persons body to feel the sensation of hot or cold. Just like when you eat mint ant you feel cold when you eat a chili pepper you feel hot. That is because mints produce menthol and chilis produce capsaicin each making whoever eating it feel hot or cold. Scientists believe this occurs because the plants' ancestors might have produced these chemicals to deter predators. The reason menthol makes your body feel cold is because it tricks your body into feeling cold. Menthol and capsaicin affect the sensory receptors such as touch, pain, and temperature. This is called the somatosensory system, also this system is different from the systems responsible for taste and smell. Neurons in the skin monitor the environment with specialised proteins. These proteins control tunnels called ion channels leading through the cell membrane. Only when the protein detects the correct stimulus it's looking for it opens. Then the brain interprets that the tongue is hor or cold. One of the main reasons why the human body is so sensitive in the mouth, eyes , and nose is because the nerve ending come so close to the surface. So that is why the sensations of cold and heat are so much stronger in these reigns of the body.
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