What is the component for sugar?

Answer 1

Molecules in sugars trigger taste receptors on the tongue. In animals, taste determines whether the food has protein or starches that are required in the diet. These will be preferentially consumed.

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Sugar is sweet because when our tongue detects a sugar molecule the nervous impulse it sends says "sweet". Our tongue detects the sugar molecule by its shape. The shape fits into a molecule in the surface of a taste bud, and when they bind, it causes the nerve to fire and send a message to the brain that says "sweet". A lot of money has been spent developing new molecules that will cause this molecular response and yet not provide the same calories as actual sugars. The chemicals have to taste sweet, but not be digestible and so have no calories. Nutrasweet, for instance.

However, scientists have been studying the reasons why the nerve impulse means "sweet" to the portion of the brain that receives the impulse.

Answer 2

Table sugar, or granulated sugar, is sucrose (a disaccharide molecule) that has a sweeter taste than some other disaccharides. Sucrose is composed of two joined molecules, glucose and fructose, which both also have a sweet taste.

Answer 3

Sugar (sucrose or saccharose) has the chemical formula C12H22O15. This formula is valid for table sugar.