chemosensory

[kee-moh-sen-suh-ree, kem-oh-]

adjective

Physiology.

1. sensitive to chemical stimuli, as the sensory nerve endings that mediate taste and smell.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chemosensory¹

First recorded in 1970–75; chemo- + sensory

Example Sentences

Using a high-powered microscope system designed by Baylink called the Chemosensory Injection Rig Assay, the researchers simulated intestinal bleeding by injecting microscopic amounts of human serum and watching as the bacteria navigated toward the source.

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“To minimize the risks of retaliatory injury,” the study suggests, “rattlesnakes and other vipers have evolved unique strategies to acquire dangerous prey, including the release of prey immediately after the envenomating bite, followed by chemosensory searching to relocate their meal, which often travels meters or before succumbing to the venom.”

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“I think it’s important to have universal chemosensory testing for people so that we know what their baseline is,” Boateng says.

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Separately, researchers at Ohio State University have been testing how candy can be used to detect chemosensory loss.

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A 2017 study published in Lifestyle Genomics similarly found that "genes related to chemosensory perception may play a role in children's picky eating behavior."

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