Investigation of bond oscillation assisted olfactory perception by exciting the molecular chemical bonds using specific IR wavelengths
Journal
APL Photonics
Journal Volume
9
Journal Issue
7
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
Abstract
The principle of olfactory perception had been widely studied. The core of the olfactory theory is based on two different mechanisms or the combination of the two. The first is the shape (weak shape) theory that the olfactory receptor only accepts the molecule with a complementary shape (lock to the key). The second is the vibrational theory that electrons on an odor molecule will be able to tunnel to the olfactory receptors quantum mechanically only when they are assisted by the specific bond vibrational energy of the molecules. Previous studies indicated that human subjects can distinguish the difference between the musk odorant molecules and its deuterated counterparts as evidence to advocate the theory. Scientists who refuted the vibration theory studied "musk-recognizing receptor", OR5AN1 and discovered that these receptors responded strongly and identically to the deuterated and normal musk odorants in the vitro environmental condition albeit they have different vibrational energies. In this paper, a new method is adopted to investigate the bond vibration-assisted olfactory theory. Narrow bandwidth infrared light sources with specific wavelengths were utilized to illuminate and excite molecular bond oscillation of the odorant molecules. By analyzing the experimental results of 23 human subjects. This study also supported the hypothesis of the "spin residual information theory" that the olfactory perception is aroused by the "residual spin information" of infrared photons left near the odor and receptor molecular bonding sites which absorbed or emitted the infrared photons. © 2019 Author(s).
SDGs
Other Subjects
Bond strength (chemical); Deuterium; Information theory; Light sources; Odors; Photons; Quantum chemistry; Different mechanisms; Environmental conditions; Infrared light sources; Molecular bonding; Olfactory receptors; Vibration assisted; Vibration theory; Vibrational energies; Molecules
Type
journal article