"Odor expert" solves the mystery of human smell
The unique floral fragrance that smells in the morning, still remembers in a few years, this is the role of the olfactory machine. However, the mechanism of olfactory has always been one of the most difficult mysters in the human sense.
American scientist Richard Axel and Linda Buck have a "odor expert", because they have contributed to the study of odor receptors and olfactory systems, 4th by Sweden Carolinska The Medical School announced awarded the 2004 Nobel Physiology or Medical Award. The Nobel Awards ceremony will be held on December 10th, Nobel, Due to Dynasty, and Axel and Buck will share 10 million (about $ 1.38 million) Nobel Physiology or Medical Awards bonus.
"Professional" gene identification
The Nobel Foundation has been published in the 4th, saying that human sense helps us "to determine a better thing. A bottle of grapes or a wild strawberry will activate all olfactory factors."
The human body can distinguish and memorize about 10,000 different smells, but what is the basic principle of this ability?
Axel and Buck have found that different odor receptors are distributed over human nasal cell membranes. 3% in the total number of human genes, that is, about 1000 genes are used to encode the odor receptor cell membrane to divide different odors. And these cells have direct contact with the human brain. After the odor receptor is activated by the odor, the odor receptor cells generate electrical signals, transmitted to the brain specific area, and then transmitted to other parts of the brain, combined into specific modes. As a result, the human body can consciously feel the fragrance of lilac flowers, and think of this smell at another time.
Two scientists have also found that each odor receptor cell will respond to a limited number of related molecules. Most of the odors are composed of a variety of gas molecules, each of which activates the corresponding plurality of odor receptors, which in turn communicates with the signal of the brain and combines a certain odor mode. Although the smell receptor is only about 1000 species, they can produce a large number of combinations to form a large number of odor patterns, which is the basis for people to identify and memorize about 10,000 different smells.
Axsel, 58, is currently working on the University of Columbia, University of Howard Hughes Medical Research, Biochemistry, Molecular Biophysics and Pathology.
57-year-old Barke Work in the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center of Seattle, USA, is an academician of the National Academy of Sciences. It is worth mentioning that she is the 10th of the 10th of the Nobel Science Award in history.
Research agency
In addition to uncovering the secrets of human olfactory function, Axel and Buck experiments have also given many valuable data and some important conclusions. The study found that there are about 100 flavor receptors in the olfactory organ of the fish, and there are about 1000 mice.
The theory of the basic research of two scientists is now useful in actual life, or to help other scientific research.
The mouse was buryd under the ruins after training. The mouse smell is sensitive. After several months training to remember the human smell, scientists implant the electrodes in its brain and connected to the electronics. When they are sent to the ruins, after smelling the smell of the "Goal", the brain wave fluctuation graphic display "Ah ... found". At this time, the technician can determine the position of the small mice by the device, and it can know the drops of the trapped personnel.
Japanese scientists are developing a "air gun". When people are coloring goods in shopping, it will "shoot" --- spray a special smell, such as fresh noodles or fragrant flavor, after the smell, the excitement of the brain, consumers' shopping desires are unconscious It is greatly stimulated, the money in the wanderer is big to bring a lot to the operator pocket. Scientists have also found that people can distinguish the smell of the bodies of near-relatives and strangers, but they don't like the smell of the former - this may be a kind of ability of biological rejection to reproduction to ensure species evolution.
