chemosensation
Detecting molecular stimuli
Chemosensation is the biological ability to detect chemical substances in the environment.
It encompasses both smell (detecting airborne chemicals) and taste (detecting dissolved chemicals), along with related sensory processes like detecting irritants or pheromones.
The term appears in scientific contexts discussing how organisms perceive and respond to chemical signals: Chemosensation plays a crucial role in finding food and avoiding toxins.
Sense of flavor
- flavorCharacteristic taste quality
- taste budSensory organ detecting flavors
- umamiFifth taste sensation
- sweetTasting of sugar
sour · bitter · salty · palate · tongue · papillae · taste receptor · savory
Perceived atmospheric emission
- aromaPleasant distinctive smell
- scentAirborne odor detected
- fragrancePleasing olfactory quality
- odorantSubstance emitting scent
nose · anosmia · sniff · pungent · acrid · musky · volatile · malodor
Sensory unit detecting chemicals
- olfactoryOf the sense detecting odors
- receptorSignal-receiving molecule
- neurotransmitterSynaptic chemical messenger
- synapseNerve signal crossing point
taste bud · sensory cortex · neural pathway · transduction · binding site · afferent · axon · dendrite
Behavior-altering bodily secretion
- courtshipSeeking another's romantic favor
- antennaeSensory appendages on insects
- mothNight-flying lepidopteran
- Jacobson's organChemical-sensing nasal structure
Sugar level in bloodstream
- carbon dioxideRespiration byproduct, photosynthesis fuel
- carotid bodyVascular chemoreceptor cluster
- hypothalamusSubthalamic regulatory brain region
- nauseaPre-vomiting stomach discomfort
gustation
Sense of flavor
- flavorCharacteristic taste quality
- taste budSensory organ detecting flavors
- umamiFifth taste sensation
sweet · sour · bitter · salty · palate · tongue · papillae · taste receptor · savory · supertaster
odor
Perceived atmospheric emission
odorant · nose · anosmia · sniff · pungent · acrid · musky · volatile · malodor · nostril
chemoreceptor
Sensory unit detecting chemicals
- olfactoryOf the sense detecting odors
- receptorSignal-receiving molecule
- neurotransmitterSynaptic chemical messenger
synapse · taste bud · sensory cortex · neural pathway · transduction · binding site · afferent · axon · dendrite · glutamate
pheromone
Behavior-altering bodily secretion
blood glucose
Sugar level in bloodstream
- carbon dioxideRespiration byproduct, photosynthesis fuel
- carotid bodyVascular chemoreceptor cluster
- hypothalamusSubthalamic regulatory brain region
nausea · visceral · homeostasis · blood chemistry · satiety
chemosensationphotoreception
Sensing light via cells
vision · hearing · sight · audition · echolocation