How do we sense spicy?

[RichRahl20]

Ok, so our tongue has four different taste buds: bitter, sweet, salty, and sour... so how do we sense spicy? I mean I thought it had to do with the nose, but the nose just specifies which it is to a greater extend (like sensing a sweet taste of ice cream, but not being able to determine the flavor until the nose interacts). So how do we sense spicy?

 

[weebee]

'The ingredient that makes the chili pepper hot is called capsaicin. It binds to specific receptors, named VR1 receptors, that are located on nerve endings of pain-sensing cells.' (in your mouth)

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/sciadvances/0017.cfm

 

[SwedishFish]

mmm that lovely lovely burn. if you touch any mucus membranes after handling peppers you get the same sensation. try it, it's cool. wee already gave the answer: pain receptors.

 

[ElectricFetus]

Yes many chemicals cause pain receptors to fire without actually do any damage, in the mouth this is felt as spicy or burning sensation, on the skin it stings, in tissues it fells more like a dull pain. Of course the king of all spiciness are capsaicinoids, essence of peppers, hottest spice known to man!

here is a link all about it:
http://pubs.acs.org/hotartcl/tcaw/00/may/dong.html
they even have this stuff in pain balls as a non-lethal weapon!

 

[curioucity]

Well, as an addition, to digestion system these hot stuffs can cause stomach problem as well, if I'm not mistaken diarrhoea is one of them

 

[Gifted]

I've been told that the chemicals that make spicy are oil-like, and so drinking water will help you little. To get rid of the burn(unless you like it) eating a mouthful or two of bread, which soaks it up, or I've been told that there's a mineral in milk that dissolves the oils, putting out the fire.

 

[curioucity]

I guess I agree, though I've never tried it....
Oh, btw, can too much spices make loss of sense of tasting?