Odors da hankali

Wataƙila mafi tsoffin hankula, ƙamshi yana da tasiri mai ban mamaki akan sani, tausayawa, har ma da sauran azanci.

Dumi, ƙanshi mai ƙoshin kukis da aka gasa; ƙaƙƙarfan ƙaƙƙarfan bleach; tsabtace, ƙanshin koren furannin furannin farkon bazara - waɗannan ƙanshin na iya zama da sauƙi, amma ƙanshin bai iyakance ga hanci ba.

Kamshin tsoho ne. Dukkan abubuwa masu rai, gami da ƙwayoyin cuta marasa kan gado, na iya gano ƙanshin sinadarai a cikin muhallin su. Odors sune kwayoyin halitta, bayan komai, kuma ƙanshi shine kawai sigar kashin baya na sanin sunadarai.

Duk da yaduwarsa da tushensa mai zurfi, mahimmancin ƙoshin yana da sauƙi a manta. A cewar masanin ilimin halayyar dan adam Johan Lundstrom, PhD, memba na kwalejin a Monell Chemical Sense Center a Philadelphia, akwai manyan dalilai guda biyu. Na farko shine rashin kalmomi. Za mu iya ƙirƙirar kwatancen abubuwa masu kyau ta hanyar bayyana launinsu, sifofi, girmansu da ƙirarsu. Sautunan suna zuwa da ƙarar, sautin da sautin. Duk da haka, kusan ba zai yiwu a bayyana ƙanshin ba tare da kwatanta shi da wani ƙanshin da aka saba da shi ba. "Ba mu da kyakkyawan harshe don ƙamshi," in ji shi.

Na biyu, zamu iya dora laifin kwakwalwa. Ga dukkan sauran hankulan, ana isar da abubuwan tunawa na azanci kai tsaye zuwa ga thalamus, "babban ma'aunin kwakwalwa," in ji shi, kuma daga can zuwa manyan mahimman abubuwan azanci. Amma wadataccen ƙanshin yana wucewa ta wasu sassan kwakwalwa, gami da cibiyoyin ƙwaƙwalwa da tausayawa, kafin isa thalamus. "A cikin ilimin kimiyyar jijiyoyin jini, mun faɗi kaɗan a hankali cewa babu abin da ke isa ga sani sai dai idan kun wuce thalamus," in ji shi. "Don ƙanshin, kuna da duk wannan magani na asali kafin ku san ƙanshin."

Koyaya, wannan magani na asali ba shine labarin gaba ɗaya ba. Haɗin abubuwan ciki da na waje yana tasiri yadda muke tsinkayar wani ƙamshi. Kuma yayin da masu bincike da yawa ke juyawa zuwa wannan ma'anar da ba a kula da ita ba, yadda hoton ƙanshin ya zama mai ban sha'awa.

Cuku a ƙarƙashin wani suna

A matakin asali, abubuwan da ke tattare da ilimin halittar jiki na iya shafar jin kumshin ku. Wasu mutane suna "makafi" ga wasu sunadarai. Dauki bishiyar asparagus, misali. Mutane da yawa suna lura da ƙanshin ƙamshi mai ƙamshi da sulfur a cikin fitsarinsu bayan sun ci 'yan tsiro. Amma ba kowa bane. Kwanan nan, da yawa daga cikin abokan aikin Monell daga Lundstrom sun ba da rahoto a cikin Sense Chemical, (Vol. 36, No. 1) cewa wasu mutanen da ke da sa'a tare da canjin harafi ɗaya a cikin DNA ɗin su ba sa iya jin ƙanshin wannan ƙanshin.

Haka nan yanayin yunwa na iya shafar fahimtar ƙamshi. Masu bincike a Jami'ar Portsmouth da ke Burtaniya kawai sun ba da rahoto a cikin Sens Chemical cewa yawancin mutane sun fi kula da wari lokacin da suke jin yunwa; amma, abin mamaki, sun ɗan fi kyau a gano takamaiman ƙanshin abinci bayan cikakken cin abinci. Binciken ya kuma gano cewa mutanen da suka yi kiba sun fi jin daɗin ƙanshin abinci fiye da masu sirara.

Mahallin ma yana da mahimmanci. Ga yawancin mutane, ƙanshin takin saniya abin ƙyama ne. Amma ga mutanen da suka girma a gonaki, taki na iya haifar da matsanancin son rai. Kuma yayin da yawancin Amurkawa ke murƙushe hancinsu saboda ƙanshin tsiron ruwan teku, yawancin Jafananci (waɗanda suka girma tare da tsiren ruwan teku a cikin menu) suna samun ƙanshinsa mai daɗi. Lundstrom ya ce "Kwarewarmu ta baya tana da tasiri sosai kan yadda muke dandana ƙamshi."

Fata kuma na taka rawa. Gwada wannan, Lundstrom yana ba da shawara: ɓoye cuku na Parmesan cikin tsofaffi kuma ku gaya wa aboki cewa wani ya yi amai a ciki. Za su ja da baya a wari. Amma gaya musu yana da kyau cuku, kuma za su wuce. A bayyane yake, akwai sarrafa kwakwalwa sama-ƙasa a wurin aiki. "Kuna iya tafiya daga mai kyau zuwa mai ƙima sosai ta hanyar canza lakabin," in ji shi.

Wannan sabon abu yana da tasiri fiye da barkwanci mai amfani. Pamela Dalton, PhD, MPH, ita ma memba ce a Monell, kwanan nan ta gano cewa tsammanin game da ƙanshin yana shafar lafiyar jiki. Ta gabatar da ƙanshin roba ga masu asma, waɗanda galibi ke nuna alamar ƙoshin ƙanshi mai ƙarfi. Ta gaya wa rabin masu aikin sa -kai cewa warin na iya rage alamomin asma, yayin da sauran ke tunanin warin sinadarin na iya sa alamun su su yi muni.

A zahiri, masu ba da agaji sun ji ƙanshin fure wanda aka sani ba shi da lahani har ma da babban taro. Duk da haka, mutanen da suke tunanin warin yana da haɗari yana cewa sun ɗan sami ƙarin alamun asma bayan sun shaƙa. Abin da Dalton ya zata. Abin da ya ba shi mamaki shi ne, ba duka ne a kawunansu ba. Masu ba da agaji waɗanda ke tsammanin mafi munin a zahiri sun sami karuwar kumburin huhu, yayin da waɗanda ke tunanin ƙanshin yana da fa'ida bai yi ba. Ko da mafi ban mamaki, matakan kumburin sun ci gaba na awanni 24. Dalton ya gabatar da binciken a taron 2010 na Ƙungiyar Kimiyya ta Chemoreception a watan Afrilu. Dalton ya danganta halayen ga danniya. "Mun san akwai wata hanyar da danniya zai iya haifar da irin wannan kumburin," in ji ta. "Amma mun yi mamaki ƙwarai da gaske cewa shawara mai sauƙi na abin da suka ji ƙanshi na iya yin tasiri sosai."

Masu binciken da ke kusa, suna ƙara samun cewa ƙanshin yana shafar motsin zuciyarmu, saninmu, har ma da lafiyarmu. A hankali, suna fara fitar da cikakkun bayanai.

Muhimmancin warin jiki

Wani muhimmin bincike na masu binciken olfaction shine cewa ba duk ƙanshin aka halicce su daidai ba. Wasu ƙanshin da kwakwalwa ke sarrafa su daban.

Ƙamshin jiki, musamman, da alama yana cikin aji nasa. A cikin binciken da aka buga a Cerebral Cortex (vol. 18, no. 6), Lundstrom ya gano cewa kwakwalwa ta dogara da yankuna daban -daban don sarrafa warin jiki idan aka kwatanta da sauran ƙanshin yau da kullun. Ya yi amfani da na'urar binciken tomography na positron don ganin kwakwalen mata da ke shanye hannayen riga na masu sa kai sun kwana cikin dare. Sun kuma ji ƙamshin rigunan da ke cike da warin jiki na jabu.

Batutuwa na gwaji ba za su iya sane da waɗanne samfura ne na gaske ba kuma na ƙarya ne. Amma duk da haka bincike ya nuna hakan ainihin warin jiki ya haifar da hanyoyi daban -daban na kwakwalwa fiye da ƙanshin wucin gadi. Haƙiƙa ƙanshin jiki a zahiri ya kashe wuraren da ke kusa da gurɓataccen ƙanshin turare, in ji Lundstrom, kuma a maimakon haka ya kunna fannoni da yawa na kwakwalwa waɗanda galibi ana amfani da su ba don ƙanshi ba, amma don gane abubuwan da suka saba da tsoratarwa. "Ya bayyana cewa warin jiki ana sarrafa shi ta hanyar hanyar sadarwa a cikin kwakwalwa, kuma ba ta babban tsarin ƙanshin ba," in ji Lundstrom.

A zamanin da, auna ƙanshin jiki yana da mahimmanci don zaɓar abokai da sanin ƙaunatattu. "Mun yi imanin cewa a duk lokacin juyin halitta an gano waɗannan ƙanshin jikin a matsayin muhimman abubuwan motsa jiki, don haka an ba su hanyoyin sadaukar da kai don aiwatar da su," in ji shi.

Anan ma, duk da haka, akwai bambance -bambancen daidaiku a cikin hankalin mutum ga warin jiki. Kuma hankali ga waɗannan mahimman ƙanshin na iya aza harsashin sadarwa ta zamantakewa. Denise Chen, PhD, masanin ilimin halayyar dan adam a Jami'ar Rice, ta yi sigar gwajin T-shirt mai gumi, wanda ta buga a Kimiyyar Ilimin Kimiyya (Vol. 20, No. 9). Ta nemi kowacce mace da ta yi shaƙafa riguna uku - biyu waɗanda baƙo suka sa ɗaya kuma wanda abokin zama ya saka. Chen ya gano cewa matan da suka zaɓi ƙanshin abokin zamansu suna da ƙima mai yawa akan gwaje -gwajen ƙoshin lafiya. Ta kara da cewa "Mutanen da suka fi jin kamshin jin dadin jama'a suma sun fi kula da abubuwan da ke cikin tunani."

Duniya mai azanci

Baya ga taimaka mana kewaya duniyar zamantakewar mu, ƙanshi na iya haɗawa da gani da sauti don taimaka mana mu bi hanyar mu a duniyar zahiri. Haɗin tsakanin dandano da ƙanshi sananne ne. Amma da yawa, masana kimiyya suna gane cewa ƙanshin yana gauraya kuma yana haɗewa da wasu hankula ta hanyoyin da ba a zata ba.

Har zuwa kwanan nan, Lundstrom ya ce, masana kimiyya sun fara nazarin kowane hankali a ware. Sun yi amfani da abubuwan gani na gani don fahimtar hangen nesa, motsin ji don fahimtar ji, da sauransu. Amma a rayuwa ta ainihi, hankulanmu ba su wanzu a cikin duhu. Kullum muna cika mana da ƙwace bayanai da ke fitowa daga dukkan azanci a lokaci guda. Da zarar masu bincike sun fara nazarin yadda hankula ke aiki tare, "mun fara fahimtar abin da muke tsammanin gaskiya ne ga kowane ma'ana," in ji shi. "Yana iya zama abin da muke tsammanin gaskiya ne game da kwakwalwa, wataƙila ba gaskiya bane bayan haka."

A cikin bincike na yanzu, ya gano cewa mutane suna sarrafa wari daban -daban dangane da abin da sauran abubuwan da ke shiga cikin azanci. Lokacin da mutum ya kalli hoton fure mai ƙanshin fure mai ƙanshi, alal misali, suna kimanta ƙanshin a matsayin mai tsananin ƙarfi da daɗi fiye da yadda suke jin ƙanshin fure yayin kallon hoto.

Duk da yake Lundstrom ya nuna cewa abubuwan gani na gani suna tasiri kan ƙanshin mu, sauran masu binciken sun gano cewa juzu'in gaskiya ne: ƙamshi yana shafar ikon mu na sarrafa abubuwan gani.

A cikin wani binciken da aka buga a halin yanzu Biology (Vol. 20, No. 15) a bazara da ta gabata, Chen da abokan aikinsa sun gabatar da hotuna daban -daban guda biyu a lokaci guda ga idanun wani batu. Ido ɗaya ya kalli alamar dindindin yayin da aka horar da sauran ido akan fure. A karkashin waɗannan yanayi, batutuwan sun hango hotunan biyu bi da bi, ɗaya bayan ɗaya. Ta hanyar ƙanshin ƙanshin alama yayin gwajin, duk da haka, batutuwa sun hangi hoton mai alamar na tsawon lokaci. Akasin haka ya faru lokacin da suka ji ƙanshin fure. "Wari mai wari yana tsawaita lokacin da ake iya ganin hoton," in ji Chen.

Alan Hirsch, MD, darektan jijiya na Gidauniyar Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation a Chicago, ya kuma bincika haɗin tsakanin ƙanshin da shafuka. Ya nemi maza su kimanta nauyin mace mai sa kai yayin da take sanye da kamshi daban -daban ko babu kamshi. Wasu turare ba su da wani tasiri a bayyane kan yadda maza ke ganin nauyin ta. Amma lokacin da ta saka turare tare da bayanan fure -fure da yaji, maza sun yanke mata hukunci mai nauyin kilo 4, a matsakaita. Ko da mafi ban sha'awa, mutanen da suka bayyana ƙanshin fure-ƙamshi kamar abin jin daɗi sun fahimci cewa ya kai kusan kilo 12.

A cikin binciken da ke da alaƙa, Hirsch ya gano cewa masu ba da agaji waɗanda suka sha ƙamshin innabi sun hukunta mata 'yan shekara biyar cewa da gaske sun kasance, yayin da ƙanshin inabi da kokwamba ba su da wani tasiri a kan tsinkayar shekaru. Ba a san takamaimai dalilin da ya sa 'ya'yan innabi ke da irin wannan tasiri mai ƙarfi ba. Abubuwan da suka ba da kansu na baya -bayan nan tare da ƙanshin Citrus na iya taka rawa, in ji Hirsch, ko ƙanshin innabi na iya fitowa da ƙarfi fiye da ƙanshin innabi da kokwamba. Abin da ya bayyana, shi ne turare yana isar da bayanai da yawa - gaskiya ne ko a'a - wanda ke taimaka mana mu yanke hukunci game da duniyar da ke kewaye da mu. "Kamshin yana shafar mu koyaushe, ko mun gane ko ba mu sani ba," in ji shi.

Irin waɗannan karatun kawai sun fara tona asirin ƙamshi. "Olfaction filin matasa ne," in ji Chen. Idan aka kwatanta da gani da ji, ba a fahimtarsa. Don tabbatar, yawancin mutane halittun gani ne. Amma duk da haka masu binciken ƙamshi kamar sun yarda da hakan hanci ya fi girma fiye da yadda yawancin mutane suke ganewa.

Hakanan babban kayan aiki ne don koyo game da kwakwalwa gabaɗaya, Chen ya ce, duka saboda tsoffin tushen sa da kuma saboda hanya ta musamman wacce bayanai masu ƙamshi ke saƙa ta hanyar ɓangarori masu ban sha'awa da yawa na kwakwalwa.. "Olfaction babban kayan aiki ne don nazarin ayyuka da hanyoyin sarrafa azanci, da yadda suke da alaƙa da abubuwa kamar tausayawa, sani da halayyar zamantakewa," in ji ta.

Babu shakka, akwai abubuwa da yawa da za a koya. Idan ya zo ga tona asirin gamsuwa, mun sami kumburi daya kawai.