FoundationalConceptsNeuroscience

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Figure 12.2. Drawing of an alembic (alchemical still), from The Art of Distilla-
tion, published in 1651.
When we smell the aroma of the spice cinnamon, we are sniffing
dozens of different molecules interacting with the 350 different types
of olfactory receptor GPCRs in our nasal epithelium. This is an extra-
ordinary symphony of interactions, with each of the many different
aromatic molecules activating a specific constellation of GPCRs, each
to a specific degree. The symphony of signals generated in this process
and sent to the brain is somehow interpreted so as to produce the
nearly ineffable aromatic mental experience known as the aroma of
cinnamon—somehow.
Another famous spice from India is cardamom, from the plant
Elettaria cardamomum. The seeds of this plant are used to impart a
distinctive flavor to various Indian foods and to tea and coffee bever-