Carol,
Your initial message on the subject suggested that TT _could_ taste the
bitter paper while Tt and tt were lumped together as non-tasters. Given my
grade school understanding of dominant genes, I suspected that TT and Tt
should be lumped together. However, rather than worrying about the details
about who could/couldn't taste the paper, I just went with what you
initially said as the basis for the story/urban legend. All I really
remember: bitter paper genetics = surprise proof of adoption.
As for my family...
I'm certain that the paper just tasted like paper to me. It was no worse
than chewing on a piece of notebook paper. If I recall correctly, my dad
also tasted nothing while my mom could taste it. That would suggest that
Dad and I are tt, while Mom must be Tt. I don't think we were given enough
paper to have siblings participate.
Ryan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol Townsend" <carol.townsend@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "General Wunderland.Com Discussion List"
<something@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2008 7:50 AM
Subject: Re: [Something] Supertaster
Don't know if the story is true or not, but if you're a Taster, you're TT
or
Tt (it's a dominant trait). So both parents could be Tasters (Tt and Tt)
and she could be a non-taster (tt) and still be their child.
I'm a living example of parents who are dominant in various traits and I'm
recessive - I'm left handed (both parents are right handed), have blue
eyes,
am a non-taster, can't roll my tongue, have no widow's peak...etc.
Anyway - it's a good story. How did the genetics work out in your
family -
were they all Tasters or all Non-Tasters? :)
Carol
On 8/2/08, Ryan McGuire and Kerry Breitenbach <kerry_and_ryan@xxxxxxx>
wrote:
When we did that gentics experiment, we were supposed to take little
pieces
of the paper home and see who else in our family could taste it. The
teacher told us a story (perhaps urban legend) of a student that found
out
she was adopted that way. Apparently both her parents could (therefore
both
TT) and she couldn't (therefore Tt ot tt). Ain't that a fine
how-do-you-do?
Ryan
From: "Carol Townsend" <carol.townsend@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Something] Supertaster
One test for "taster/non-taster" (I'm not sure if it's for what's being
called a "supertaster" or not) is often done in Biology classes during a
genetics unit. (has anyone else done this?)
Students get a small strip of paper, on which is a susbstance (PTC) that
is
very bitter to those who can taste it. Some speculation is that if you
are
a homozygous for the ability to taste (TT instead of Tt or tt), then it
is
a
more intense bitter taste. This might be an indication of a
"supertaster."
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Carol Townsend
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