Page 41 - The Miracles of Smell and Taste

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been fully clarified, a signal is formed within the scent-receptor cell. At
this stage, a great many proteins and enzymes unfailingly discharge the
responsibilities placed upon them.
The process by which scent-receptors turn the characteristics of scent

molecules into electrical signals is rather complicated. At present, only
two of the communication networks in the scent-receptor cells are known.
In the very simplest of terms, the communication can be summarized as
follows:
Let us first examine the communication established by means of
cAMP (adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate). (Figure 10) When scent
molecules combine with the receptors, a rapid sequence of processes be-
gins within the scent receptor cell. First, the G-old protein is brought to an
active state and sets the enzyme AC into action. AC accelerates the trans-
formation of ATP in the cell into cAMP—a messenger bound to the chan-
nel that joins the cilia to the cell membrane.
This results in the channels opening up and calcium ions entering the

Scent molecule

Calcium
channel
Cl -
Chloride
channel

Receptor G protein cAMP
ATP cAMP Ca 2+
Ca 2+
Na +

(Figure 10)
The main stages of the cAMP communication line that forms in the cell
when the scent molecule bonds to the scent receptor.

Harun Yahya
(Adnan Oktar)