A taster is a person, by means of a human genotype, who is able to taste
phenylthiocarbamide
Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), also known as phenylthiourea (PTU), is an organosulfur thiourea containing a phenyl ring.
It has the unusual property that it either tastes very bitter or is virtually tasteless, depending on the genetic makeup of the ...
(PTC) and its derivative 6-n-
propylthiouracil
Propylthiouracil (PTU) is a medication used to treat hyperthyroidism. This includes hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease and toxic multinodular goiter. In a thyrotoxic crisis it is generally more effective than methimazole. Otherwise it is ty ...
(PROP).
PTC tastes bitter to many people (tasters) but is tasteless to others (non-tasters).
About 70% of Caucasians from North America and Western Europe are tasters. The other 30% are non-tasters. Worldwide, fewer Black and Asian persons are non-tasters, and about 50% of indigenous persons from India are non-tasters.
See also
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PTC tasting
PTC tasting is a classic genetic marker in human population genetics investigations.
History
In 1931 Arthur Fox, a chemist at DuPont, in Wilmington, Delaware, synthesized phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). Some researchers reported a bitter taste when ...
Notes
Further reading
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Urea cycle
Sensors
Classical genetics
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