Human tongue can taste "flavour" of carbon dioxide in fizzy drinks

London, October 16(ANI): A new study has found that the human tongue can taste the "flavour" of carbon dioxide when bubbles of fizzy drinks like Champagne break on it, a new research has revealed.

The study published in the journal 'Science,' revealed that similar to the way tongue detects the flavour of sour food, it also responds to the gases of carbonated or fermented drinks.

Neuroscientist at Columbia University in New York, Charles Zuker, is the man who found that a class of taste-receptor cells in the tongue responds to carbon dioxide.

He also specifically identified an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase 4 in the detection of the gas, reports the Independent.

The research was conducted on laboratory mice genetically modified to lack sour-sensing taste cells.

The scientists apparently found that the mice also lacked the ability to detect carbon dioxide in carbonated water.

However, those that did retain the sour-sensing cells showed a neurological response when drinking carbonated water.

The study also explains the the reason why people do not get the taste of champagne, beer and other fizzy drinks when on an acetazolamide, a prophylactic taken to avert altitude sickness. (ANI)