Taste receptors are not exclusively confined to your tongue, as scientists have discovered fully functional bitter taste receptors lining the walls of your lungs, airway, and even your intestines.

A closer look

Taste receptors are not exclusively confined to your tongue, as scientists have discovered fully functional bitter taste receptors lining the walls of your lungs, airway, and even your intestines. These internal cellular tasters do not send flavor signals to your brain to tell you that something is delicious, but rather they detect noxious, bitter chemicals in inhaled toxins and immediately trigger airway dilation to help you cough the offensive hazard out. You are literally tasting the toxic atmosphere with your respiratory system every single time you accidentally inhale a cloud of cheap cologne or aggressive cleaning products. It is incredibly disturbing to realize that your lower respiratory tract is constantly sampling the flavor profile of the surrounding air, meaning your lungs probably think the polluted, smog-filled city air you breathe every day tastes like a miserable, metallic nightmare!