Phenylthiocarbamide Taster Status

1903 Words4 Pages

Correlation between phenylthiocarbamide taster status and quinine sensitivity

Introduction

Each person has unique preferences for certain tastes and types of food. Some of these preferences are due to environmental factors, while others have genetic components (Yeomans 2010). One such genetically influenced trait is the ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). PTC was discovered by accident in 1931 by colleagues Arthur Fox and C. R. Noller. While working in the laboratory, dust from the PTC bottle flew around and Noller complained of the bitter taste while Fox noticed nothing. The two then tried the crystals and observed a distinct difference in their ability to taste PTC. Fox proceeded to investigate this phenomenon and determined that he found both tasters and non-tasters within varied groups of individuals (Fox 1932). PTC has since been a topic of wide interest within fields as diverse as genetics, psychophysiology, ecology, evolution, nutrition, and science education (Wooding 2006). Due to the fact that the phenotype is nearly impossible to guess until explicitly tested, yet once tested quite striking, it has often been used to spice up educational lessons (Wooding 2006).

Aside from the pedagogical implications of such a striking phenotype, many pioneering studies relating to PTC and the taster/non-taster phenotype have been conducted since its discovery (Wooding 2006). Directly after Fox presented his findings for the National Academy of Sciences, Blakeslee also presented his large-scale study of PTC inheritance within families and saw a similar phenomenon of taster and non-taster phenotypes. Furthermore, Blakeslee classified the tasters according to their taste acuity using dilutions at which the bitte...

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