Final answer:
The smell of food triggers a conditioned reflex, leading to salivation, which plays roles in digestion and protecting teeth. Our appetite is influenced by many factors including physiological signals, environment, and culture. Taste preferences are shaped by a mix of innate predispositions and cultural experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
When walking past a bakery, the whiff of freshly baked bread triggers a conditioned reflex. This reflex is your body's natural response to stimuli associated with food, resulting in salivation. Saliva plays various roles, including aiding digestion and providing moisture to the mouth for chewing and swallowing. When you're nauseated, such as when seasick, saliva can also protect your teeth from stomach acid in the case of vomiting. In addition, our sense of taste and appetite can be heavily influenced by environmental cues such as smelling delicious food, which might evoke an expectant smile, or by watching food-related advertisements that make us feel hungry.
Many factors affect appetite, such as emotions, environment, cultural norms, and physiological needs. For example, an empty stomach and low blood sugar levels send signals to the brain that trigger hunger. On the other hand, factors like stress or illness can reduce appetite. People have some control over their hunger, such as when they choose to eat or not eat despite the presence of environmental cues that might prompt hunger.
Cultural and familial influences significantly shape our food preferences. While we may have certain innate preferences, a great deal of our taste for particular foods is acquired through our cultural and familial experiences. The diversity of world cuisines and reactions to them, ranging from excitement and gratitude to surprise and disgust, highlight how much our background influences what we consider appetizing.