A chef, after recovering from a viral infection, finds that certain sweet foods now taste bitter. Which mechanism most likely explains this altered perception?

💡 Explanation

Viral infections can damage taste receptor cells, leading to aberrant signaling. Because the infection causes cross-activation of bitter taste receptors by sweet molecules, the chef perceives sweetness as bitterness. Therefore, the answer is cross-activation, rather than altered olfaction or suppressed umami which would manifest differently.

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