Molecular mixture models: Connecting molecular events to perception

Molecular mixture models are discussed that connect even at the periphery to taste perception. Applicant of the models to mixtures of glucose and fructose shows evidence for the existence of a transducer in human sweet taste and provides an hypothesis to explain the superior sweetening power of fructose to glucose. These mathematical models may be a useful alternative to the use of animal models to describe human chemosensory mechanisms.