Season 9 ~ Episode #45 - - - Sourest Food Challenge

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K-ModPermalink Reply by Gumbo123 on March 11, 2016 at 11:44am

Sourness

Sourness is the taste that detects acidity. The sourness of substances is rated relative to dilute hydrochloric acid, which has a sourness index of 1. By comparison, tartaric acid has a sourness index of 0.7, citric acid an index of 0.46, and carbonic acid an index of 0.06.

Sour taste is detected by a small subset of cells that are distributed across all taste buds in the tongue. Sour taste cells can be identified by expression of the protein PKD2L1, although this gene is not required for sour responses. There is evidence that the protons that are abundant in sour substances can directly enter the sour taste cells. This transfer of positive charge into the cell can itself trigger an electrical response. It has also been proposed that weak acids such as acetic acid, which are not fully dissociated at physiological pH values, can penetrate taste cells and thereby elicit an electrical response. According to this mechanism, intracellular hydrogen ions inhibit potassium channels, which normally function to hyperpolarize the cell. By a combination of direct intake of hydrogen ions (which itself depolarizes the cell) and the inhibition of the hyperpolarizing channel, sourness causes the taste cell to fire action potentials and release neurotransmitter. The mechanism by which animals detect sour is still not completely understood.

The most common food group that contains naturally sour foods is fruit, such as lemon, grape, orange, tamarind, and sometimes melon. Wine also usually has a sour tinge to its flavor, and if not kept correctly, milk can spoil and develop a sour taste. Children in the US and UK show a greater enjoyment of sour flavors than adults, and sour candy is popular in North America including Cry Babies, Warheads, Lemon drops, Shock Tarts and sour versions of Skittles and Starburst. Many of these candies contain citric acid.

K-ModPermalink Reply by Gumbo123 on March 11, 2016 at 12:25pm

Can anyone help with the name of the bride in today's SPIN THE WHEEL introduction? 

• "_______________ and Maya from Manchester (UK)"

Permalink Reply by Grace (Pheasphant) on March 12, 2016 at 2:58am

Shebubs?

K-ModPermalink Reply by Victoria (Centauromadoose) on March 11, 2016 at 4:19pm

Art of the Day: The fan art in the frame behind Link's head changes every day, but the style of today's piece looked really familiar to me...

Lo and behold, I asked a certain Corey Kramer on Twitter, and it is a piece of art that he made! :)

K-ModPermalink Reply by Gumbo123 on March 11, 2016 at 4:36pm

YUP! a golden oldie circa Dec-2012 titled viva-la-stash which he did to memorialize the end of Link's facial fuzz. Nice to see it resurface all these days later.

Permalink Reply by Heather S. (YogaGhost) on March 11, 2016 at 5:57pm

oh that's so cool! 

K-ModPermalink Reply by Gumbo123 on March 25, 2016 at 1:10pm

Here is a brief clip from the video The Weird Beach Treasure Hunt - Good Mythical Crew Ep. 9 from the R&L-4 Extras channel illustrating how Alex of the Mythical Krew changes out the Art of the Day