Does smell affect taste experiments?

Smell does have a direct impact on taste experiments because the processes of taste and smell are directly related. Taste and smell are detected by separate receptor organs, but the two senses mix to detect the flavor of food.

In a taste experiment, the taste buds detect salty, sour, bitter or savory flavors, which then stimulate the sensory cells and transfer the taste information to the brain. The sensory neurons inside nasal passages detect the odors in the air, and this information is combined with data from taste buds to give the entire taste presentation. If something interferes with the ability to smell food, having an accurate taste perception is difficult.