title: A model for odour thresholds.
abstract: Odour detection thresholds, that we have previously obtained, have been analysed by a general equation for selective transport. It is shown that such selective transport can account for some 77% of the total effect. The remainder is due to a specific size effect, that might involve odour-binding proteins, and a specific effect for aldehydes and carboxylic acids. Our analysis raises the question of whether selective transport is physically separable from the specific effects of receptor activation. The model predicts a chemical cut-off in odour detection along any homologous series.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, UK. m.h.abraham@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Joëlle M R
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gola
authors.forename: J Enrique
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cometto-Muniz
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Cain
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009812:Odorants; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D002264:Carboxylic Acids