Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: taste buds

  • Navigating the waters of post-COVID survivorship

    Denise BockwoldtChicago, Illinois, United States On the TV news, COVID survivors are being rolled out of the hospital in wheelchairs, applauded and cheered on by a crowd of hospital staff. “They’ve recovered!” the reporter announces happily. It is a hopeful sign for everyone who fears this virus, and for healthcare workers a ritual that affirms…

  • The pains and pleasures of spicy food

    Danielle DalechekNorfolk, Virginia Do you enjoy the painful yet delightful sensation of spicy chili peppers making your mouth feel as if it were on fire? Are you a fan of eating dishes that make your eyes tear and your nose run? If so, it is probably because red pepper contains capsaicin, the substance that gives…

  • Taste buds

    Pinky TripathiVaranasi, Uttar Pradesh, India The sense of taste evolved in the earliest vertebrates, subject to different interpretation by organisms. Taste is mediated through taste buds, each supported by a narrow connective tissue papilla from the underlying tissues through which the taste buds get their nerve and blood supply. Each taste bud has a small…