Molecular structure of the amino acids. The sulphur-containing group is marked by a circle.
Both cysteine and methionine have sulfur-containing functional groups that are perceived to have a foul odor, which is characteristic for putrefaction processes. Being able to distinguish food that is rotten is important and could explain why the mice display a lower olfactory detection threshold for both cysteine and methionine compared to proline.
However, it cannot be determined whether the differences in olfactory detection depend on the presence or absence of a sulphur-containing group.
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Last updated:
05/18/10