Title of the article: The Gut-Wrenching Science Behind the World’s Hottest Peppers
Summary:
Nagaland of India contains one of the world’s hottest chilies – the Naga King Chili (Bhut Jolokia). The author of the article, Mary Roach, arrived to Nagaland to experience the Hornbill Festival, in particular, to watch the Naga King Chili-Eating Competition. She aimed to find out and understand the pleasure and pain the Capsicum genus brings to the people who consume it. The Naga King Chili Pepper varies in heat, but can score extremely high on the Scoville heat unit. The contestants of the chili-eating contest began to suffer from the effect of the capsaicin in their digestive tracts. Some experienced hot flashes and unbearable heat from
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In this case, environment has a greater effect than genetics. A person’s environment, exposure to capsaicin (both frequency and hotness) has a greater effect on a person’s tolerance than their biological makeup. Also, it was mentioned in lecture, there are supertasters, tasters, and nontasters. Supertasters have smaller and more papillae on their tongue, which makes their sensitivity to tastes heighten. For nontasters, the opposite is true. They have bigger and less papillae on their tongues, making them less sensitive to tastes. Supertasters would be less tolerant to chilies like the Naga King Chili because of their heighten senses, on the other hand, nontasters would be less sensitive and would probably find the Naga King Chili more tolerable.
Relationship with the Tomorrow’s Table topic: Tomorrow’s Table suggests that organic farming as well as genetic engineering of plants can help solve some of today’s food problems. At the end of the article, it was said that growing conditions heavily affect the ways chilies turn out. The hotness of the chilies can change drastically depending on growing conditions. Therefore, we can apply organic farming and genetic engineering on the Naga King Peppers to make them mild. This way, the Naga King Chilies will appeal to more consumers than just chiliheads. Similarly, the same methods can be used on other extremely hot chilies to make them more tolerable to the average human being. By doing so, it opens up
Next, the authors write about how food has been modified throughout the years. They use the example of “cultivated rice, wheat, corn, soy, potatoes, and tomatoes have very little in common with their ancestors.” They use this example to go on to reveal that genetically modifying foods is nothing more than hybridization, or the mating of different plants of the same species to integrate the desired traits from several different varieties into a leading variety. The authors use the example of the tomato and how it is commonly bred with wild tomatoes to make the plant more resistant to pathogens, nematodes, and fungi while eradicating any unwanted traits from the wild plant such as toxins. This example, as a whole is a brilliant use of ethos. It displays that genetically modified foods are healthy and safe because it compares this new technology to a technique that has been done for thousands of years that has never been thought of as dangerous. More importantly, this comparison shows that the authors are credible and that they use their evidence wisely and correctly.
Genetic engineering is the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material, otherwise known as DNA. Since biochemists Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer pioneered genetic engineering in 1973, the process has grown to have numerous applications such as medicine production, for example insulin (Mckinley). However, a main topic of concern is the application of genetic engineering on foods that we eat everyday. By modifying the genetic "blueprint" of crops, it is possible to improve many aspects of agriculture. But with any sort of scientific discovery that allows humans to act as Mother Nature, genetically modifying organisms has been a very controversial topic. Yet our society continues to grow, and the need for the benefits of genetically modified foods continues to grow. Genetically modifying foods should be permitted in our society because it allows larger yields of crops to be produced, produces foods with higher nutritional values, and reduces our global ecological footprint.
Genetic Engineering has a multiplicity of uses in agriculture. It can be utilized to increase crop output, resistance to pest and diseases, and enhanced growing conditions. Sagoff states “Genetic engineers can help peasant societies by engineering plants and animals to stand up to the challenges of local conditions, such as blights that affect yams and other traditional crops” (14). The article “Biotechnology and Agriculture: The Common Wisdom and Its Critics.” by Sagoff. Discusses how genetic manipulation of crops would be of major benefit in developing countries, primarily because said countries can 't grow enough food to suffice the populous. Genetic manipulation of plants can make food easier to grow in these countries.
Capsaicin is a chemical that is found in chili peppers which causes the heat when you eat spicy foods. In order to detect the capsaicin that is found in the foods that you eat, your body has receptors on sensory neurons. The receptors are known as capsaicin receptors and found in the dendrites of the sensory neurons better known as nociceptors. (Caterina) When your body receives that feeling of pain or heat, it is due to capsaicin receptor recognizing capsaicin, but also the ability of the capsaicin receptor to act as an ion channel, which is found in a category known as the transient receptor potential channels. (Fox) Capsaicin will stimulate and excite the capsaicin receptor. When the receptor is excited it allows the entrance of Calcium (Ca+2) and Sodium (Na+). (Fox) When the calcium and sodium rush into the cell it will cause the cell to depolarize. Once the cell depolarizes, it will cause the action potential. The action
There are five distinct tastes that can be registered by the taste buds, but whether each one can sense one or many tastes is not known. The ability to sense each taste is present in all areas of the mouth. The five tastes are salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami or "savory" -- each linked to a specific chemical in foods. In general, humans have evolved to find salty, sweet, and umami foods pleasant, while sour and bitter foods are usually unpleasant. This is because sour and bitter tastes may indicate rotten food or poison, while nutritious, high-calorie foods usually taste salty, sweet, or savory.
Page enlightens the reader that we already know how to accomplish that task. One of the problems is that the poorer countries do not have the money to afford these better crops. Another issue is the resistance to genetically modified food. Page then argues that the lines are becoming more blurred between genetic engineering and conventional breeding, and that intentionally improving the DNA of crops is more practical than breeding two
“Taste, like smell, is a doorman for the digestive tract, a chemical scan for the possible dangerous (bitter, sour) elements and desireable (salty, sweet) nutrients.” (46)
Throughout the experiment there was a clear trend in heart rate, which steadily rose as each subject consumed more of the spicy chilies. Within this variables, there were no abnormalities, and the subjects responded in the manner we expected from our prediction. Sachin’s heart rate was the least affected, as in the end of the experiment, it had only increased by 51 beats per minute after the consumption of all six chillies to 147 beats per minute from his original 96 beats per minute. Jayhisan, on the other hand experienced the highest change after experiencing change of 65 beats per minute at the conclusion of the experiment, rocketing his
while researchers are still finding the reason behind the chillies spiciness and heat,the effort still remains unclear. Few say that chillies acts as a deterrent
Transient receptor potential cation better known as the capsaicin receptor and vanilloid receptor.It is a protein that is in humans which is encoded by the gene.This type of protein is a member of TRPV.It was the first member of the transient receptor potential and vailliod receptor.Aslo they are compounds which process through a vanillyl group.This drug is responable for the pungency of capsicums.Also for the burning sensation experienced after eatting spicy peppers.What is the history? Perspectives opened from cloning capsaicin receptor.They are outlines ,long lasting functional ,ultrastructural and nerve terminal effects.It affects the transient receptor potential vanilloid.Which invloves in sensing heart, warmth and most
Many people today are often amazed by the amount of nutrition and health information required for humans. The constant stream of genetic modification of food can be confusing. Genetically modified (GM) foods are plants and animals that have had their genetic makeup artificially altered by scientists to make them grow faster, taste better, last longer and to provide more nutrients. Scientists make these alternations by transferring genes from one organism into another in order to change the condition or character of the receiving organism. This process is known as biotechnology or genetic engineering (GE), and it has revolutionized the way that agriculture is practiced in many parts of the world. Researchers are now able to use GE
In today’s world we see a lot of beautiful cross-breed dogs that are product of selective breeding, in which cells are carefully picked in order to transform the genetic making of its cell by moving genes among species and thus creating new extra ordinary breed of dog such as, Pitsky, a mix of Pitbull and Husky, or Labsky which is a mix of Labrador and a Husky. This type of genetic engineering technique is also being used today in order to improve the production, characteristics, and life expectancy of plants and vegetables, the process is known as genetically modified organism or GMO. Genetically modified organisms within a plant gives an unimaginable benefits in terms of dealing with the worlds ongoing problem such as hunger, shortage of food supply with its ability to produce more harvest, and as well as to prolong its storage life. The changes in a genetically modified plants results in a change of its attributes making it chemical resistant, virus-resistant, herbicide-resistant (a chemical used to destroy unwanted weeds), delay ripening or in other cases add nutritional value (Schneider, K. Schneider R, Richard). This new found technology can have both potential benefit and harm to the human body, the agricultural system, as well as the natural resources.
Genetic engineering is a complex environmental health issue that presents several benefits and risks to both consumers and the environment. Genetic engineering is a technique used to produce genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which are genetically altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination (WHO, 2014). In other words, genetic engineering is an unnatural cell invasion technology. This technology is used to grow genetically modified (GM) plants, which are then used to produce GM crops. Genetically modified plants for food consumption include those engineered for herbicide tolerance, those engineered for insect resistance, and those engineered for viral resistance (Baite, 2003). The most common GM food crops include soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, potatoes, and tomatoes (Bonetta, 2001). Genetic engineering is used to express a gene that is not found naturally in the plant or to modify endogenous genes (Key, Ma, & Drake, 2008). For example, this technology can be used to engineer resistance to abiotic stresses, such as drought, extreme temperature, and biotic stresses, such as insects and pathogens which would normally be harmful to plant survival. In addition, this system can be used to enhance the nutritional content of the plant to combat malnutrition in developing countries. Genetic engineering was initially established to increase farmers’ crop yields, but has now shifted to be more of a benefit to consumers and those suffering
Since 2.3 billion people will be added to the world from 2009 to 2050, biotechnology- Genetically Modified Organism- is a must to combat the global food crisis(Weisser para. 2). When the United States developed Bt corn, “[they] have been genetically engineered to resist herbicides and pests and even withstand drought.”(para. 16). Unlike corn that have never been modified, the Bt corn were able to survive better because of their resistant to herbicides, pests, and drought; resulting, a corn that can survive in harsh environment. By creating a modified corn that can survive in harsh environment, a large supply of corn- food- can be produced. If biotechnology can genetically modified corn to survive in harsh condition, more food can be produced; resulting 2.3 billion people can be fed; therefore, addressing the global food crisis. To put it briefly, limiting biotechnology would prevent addressing the global food crisis. Not only can genetic engineering address the global food crisis, but it can also improve medicine
Over the years, new innovations, ideas, and emerging technologies have transformed our society and our daily lives. These new discoveries have not only been developed to help make our lives easier, but to also help us live longer and stronger lives. Living in a world that continues to evolve, creates opportunities for new innovations and breakthroughs to arise within our society. Genetic engineering is just one of many examples of the advancements that young, intelligent minds have developed throughout the years. Genetic engineering is defined as “isolating a desirable gene” and injecting it into a plant or organism to produce “a desired characteristic” (Nutrition & Weight Control for Longevity, 2005). This biological technology has provided many advancement opportunities “for several industrial sectors such as agriculture, food manufacture and pharmaceuticals” (Rastall, 2002). Along with everything else in life, genetic engineering has some upsides and downsides. Today I am going to discuss the positive and negative outcomes that genetic engineering is recognized for in the agricultural industry.