A new study by Prof. Doron Lantz from the Department of Molecular Genetics at the Weizmann Institute of Science shows that the difference in the way we sense smells stems, at least in part, from the genetic differences between us
A compilation of Prof. Doron Lantz's articles on the Hidan website
Some people don't mind the smell of sweat in the gym, or in the locker room of a soccer team. Others can't stand even the slightest scent of sweat. A new study by Prof. Doron Lantz from the Department of Molecular Genetics at the Weizmann Institute of Science shows that the difference in the way we sense smells stems, at least in part, from the genetic differences between us.
Sometimes it seems that the sense of smell "sits in the back seat" compared to the other senses, but it is a developed sense that allows humans to distinguish between at least 10,000 different smells. Mice, which have a highly developed sense of smell, and humans alike, have about 1,000 genes in their genomes that code for protein odor receptors in our olfactory organs. But over millions of years of evolution, in humans, about half of these genes have fallen out of use. In a number of receptors, the flaw applies only to some people, in a way that creates a kind of unique "bar code" of flaws in each of us.
Prof. Lantz and the members of the research group he heads asked volunteers who participated in their experiment to smell compounds with different concentrations of banana, eucalyptus, mint or sweat fragrance, and recorded the degree of sensitivity of each subject. They then compared the results with the individual genetic patterns of olfactory receptor gene loss. They found evidence that one gene (called OR7H11P) is involved in determining the ability to smell sweat. When participants had two defective copies of this gene, they smelled sweat less sensitively. In contrast, those who carried at least one normal copy of the gene in their genome felt the smell with greater sensitivity. The scientists emphasize that, as in many other cases, along with the genetic factors, there are also various environmental factors that affect the degree of sensitivity of humans to different smells.
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Reply to the cool commenter
Wow, I didn't know.
You are a real genius
Thanks!
Answer to Jonathan:
Because you're an idiot.
It is a degeneration of the smell receptors.
FYI, the degeneration does not mean that the receptors disappear, but it means that they stop working and performing their function (in their case, to smell).
That is why the distinguished and respected professor can see and count the smell receptors and with the help of certain tests and measures he can determine which of the receptors are working, and which of the receptors are degenerating.
post Scriptum. Jonathan, sit quietly
It is interesting how the distinguished professor "knows" that over millions of years of evolution, half of the genes related to smell have degenerated in humans.
It sounds so dumb to me that I can't believe that's what the professor wrote. It is possible that this is an interpretation of the editors of the article.
But if a respected magazine of the Weizmann Institute deems it appropriate to print such nonsense, we should not be surprised at the chimpanzeoid bands that infest this site and scream: "evolution" evolution... for all nonsense.