Smell & Taste on the MCAT: Olfaction, GPCRs, Flavor vs. Taste & Clinical Connections

How does your brain actually detect smell and taste? And why does the MCAT care so much about the difference between flavor and taste?In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Mike and Molly break down everything you need to know about olfaction and gustation for the MCAT. Building on our previous episode about GPCR signaling, we walk through how smell and taste both rely on chemoreceptors, why they use different signaling pathways, and how they combine to create your perception of flavor.In this episode, you'll learn:👃 How odorants bind to olfactory receptor neurons and trigger a Gs/cAMP signaling cascade🧬 Why olfactory neurons are unique (they're actual neurons AND they regenerate throughout life)🧠 Why smell bypasses the thalamus and goes directly to the limbic system (and why certain smells trigger strong emotional memories)🦠 How COVID causes anosmia (loss of smell) through inflammation of the olfactory epithelium🧪 The connection between anosmia and early Parkinson's diagnosis👅 The 5 basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami⚡ Why salty and sour use direct ion channels while sweet, bitter, and umami use a Gq/calcium GPCR pathway🍕 Why hot food smells (and tastes) better than cold food🫒 Why cilantro tastes like soap to some people (it's about receptor variants)🍽️ The difference between taste and flavor, and a simple at-home experiment to prove it📌 Sensation vs. perception: a preview of our next episodeThis episode wraps up our full series on the senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste) and sets the stage for our next deep dive into sensation vs. perception.Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at [email protected]! 📱📌 Success Advising: https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast💻 Try our Chrome Extension (video solutions to every AAMC passage) https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast