The human tongue has just one receptor type for detecting sweetness but about25 different ones for bitter flavors.

A process that spins starch into fine strands could take the sting out of removing bandages, as well as produce less expensive and more environmentally-friendly toilet paper, napkins and other products, according to Penn State food scientists.

The missing link that spans the gap between the genes and environment could be a sugar – in this case, a special one that regulates histone 3, part of the DNA backbone.

It is a known fact that sugar found in food is bad for teeth and the waistline, but now another sugar produced in the body's cells is implicated as a health hazard and blocking it may bring benefits that include treating cancer and improving long-term memory in older people.

Just as the familiar sugar in food can be bad for the teeth and waistline, another sugar has been implicated as a health menace and blocking its action may have benefits that include improving long-term memory in older people and treating cancer.