http://www.thebeerbarrel.net/showthread.php?7719-How-Animals-Sense-Potentially-Harmful-Acids
All animals face the challenge of deciding which chemicals in the environment are useful and which are harmful. A new study greatly improves our understanding of how animals sense an important class of potentially harmful chemicals: weak acids. The study appears online on May 16 in the Journal of General Physiology.
Weak acids like acetic acid (vinegar) and propionic acid (present in fermented foods like Swiss cheese) are shunned by many animals, and with good reason. Many organic acids in the environment can have widespread detrimental effects. Humans ingest these substances despite the fact that they actually elicit "irritating" sensations, a physiological response that may have been vital for our ancestors' survival.
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