Full Text:
Tasting food relies on food volatiles moving from the back of the mouth to the nasal cavity, but researchers have wondered why airflow doesn't carry them in the other direction, into the lungs. Now, a team of engineers using a 3-D printed model of the human airway--from nostril to trachea--has determined that the shape of the airway preferentially transfers volatiles to the nasal cavity and allows humans to enjoy the smell of good food.
Image credit: Rui Ni/Penn State
