1st July 2016
Mirror neurons explain why humans empathize
Your friend wrinkles her face with disgust while tasting some food, and seeing her, you too feel the same disgust.
• • •
30th June 2016
Food can’t be tasted unless mixed with saliva
We can taste food because the salivary glands in the mouth secrete saliva that mix with the food. Without saliva, we would not know the taste of any kind of food. The chemoreceptors or taste buds need a liquid medium that makes flavours bind into the receptor molecules. For example, if a pinch of salt is put on a dry tongue, it can’t be tasted. The moment it dissolves in saliva, the sensation of taste occurs.
• • •
25th May 2016
Is the web of a spider its home or a trap?
A spider’s web is not its home, but rather a trap for its prey. It is woven by the spider using the spider silk produced by special glands in their abdomen. The webs are as unique as snowflakes, with no two ever being the same. Some tropical spiders have built webs over 5.5 m across.
• • •
12th May 2016
Animals that can live longer without water than camels
Camels are known to live without water for many weeks in the desert. But it has been found that giraffes and kangaroo rats can live for more days than the camels. Giraffes eat food high in water content, and so they can live without water for weeks. Kangaroo rats never drink water but metabolise water from the seeds they eat.
• • •
8th February 2016
What is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth called?
The word ‘arachibutyrophobia’ is derived from arachis, meaning peanuts. The full meaning of the word is fear of peanut oil sticking to the roof of the mouth. Arachis is a kind of oil found in many nuts and peanuts which stick to the roof of the mouth. In many cases, the saliva fails to dissolve this. A person is not able to extract the sticky thing, and thus faces embarrassment, especially in public places, and develops a fear of it.
• • •
