Sweetness Lab Analysis: 9.15.2016

        In this lab my group asked the question "How does the structure of a carbohydrate affect its taste (sweetness)?" Through the experimentation of this lab, my group found that monosaccharide sugars such as glucose taste sweeter, with the exception of galactose. Going through the lab, my group and I found that sugars having only one sugar ring were more prominent in taste (sweetness) than sugars containing two or more sugar rings. In fact, through our data tables, we found that Glucose had a degree of taste (sweetness) containing 150, with 100 being the base table sugar. Many other groups' data tables showed similar evidence, with the exception of galactose, with a degree of 25. Most other sugars with multiple sugar rings had a degree of 40 or lower, with the exception of sucrose being 100. This data supports our evidence, as most monosaccharides were proven from the data tables to have a more prominent taste (sweetness) than sugars with multiple sugar rings.

        Some data was unexpected because, although there was evidence showing that monosaccharides have more prominent taste (sweetness) than disaccharides and polysaccharides, there were exceptions with glucose and sucrose. Along with this, sugars could have mixed from using one spoon, if only even a little bit. In order to fix this error, you could have multiple spoons for each sugar bowl. Another error including cross contamination of sugars includes the fact of how sugars could have mixed into each other on the same paper towel. To fix this, you would have to have multiple, ripped up paper towels, with one sugar on each.

        This lab was done to demonstrate the function of sugars, and how their properties are affected by their structure. For example, carbohydrate structured with multiple sugar rings is used more for backup energy by organisms, such as when a bear would hibernate, eating a massive amount of polysaccharides, while monossacharides are used more for short nourishment, such as when a fruit is eaten for one meal. However, taste (sweetness) is different in function based on the carbohydrate, with testers putting a roughly higher sweetness degree for monosaccharides, as all people have differently developed tongues, with different sensors for taste. This is cited in NPR, where a scientist explains how taste cells in taste buds are stimulated by different substances, channeled specifically by special ion channels in order for us to figure out how sweet something exactly is. This reminds me of a phone call, as the phone is stimulated by one person calling another. This also reminds me of how the power button stimulates a computer to turn on. Based on my experience from this lab, I could apply this to study on how the brain senses sweetness based on structure from sugar rings, and if this could apply to other types of food, like wheat.

Sources: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/11/134459338/Getting-a-Sense-of-How-We-Taste-Sweetness