How do we recognize so many different flavors? The chemical senses by the VTCSOM

Hum…delicious food smells so good! Isn’t it sad when we have cold and cannot smell our food? It seems like nothing tastes good without smell. That is because our senses of taste and smell are very close related. The sense of smell is very important, much more than improving the taste of what we eat. It also plays a role in our protection. When something is burning your first clue is the smell. Smell is also related to memory and emotions. Sometimes a smell seems to bring us to places or remind us of people we know but is not even nearby.

In our exhibit, faculty and students from the medical school at VTCSOM, physician assistant students from Jefferson College of Health Sciences will show you some interesting aspects of how we taste and smell. Come and have fun with us!

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute joins the basic science, life science, bioinformatics, and engineering strengths of Virginia Tech with the medical practice and medical education experience of Carilion Clinic. The school seats small class sizes of around 42 students each, fostering a rich educational experience. Unique focuses on four value domains - basic sciences, clinical sciences and skills, research, and interprofessionalism - develop physician thought leaders through inquiry, research, and discovery. Virginia Tech Carilion is located in a new biomedical health sciences campus in Roanoke, adjacent to Carilion Clinic and near Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.