PT21.S3.Q16 - researchers studying artificial sweeteners

skrishnan

I chose answer choice B.
I understand this is an MSS but answer choice C seems too strong to me. I'm not convinced of it.

Any thoughts?
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-21-section-3-question-16/

btate87

Hi there, I think the trap in Answer Choice B is the text in the stimulus "any given individual molecule of substance." However, this is only telling us that any molecule that activates a receptor cannot activate more than one. Nowhere in the stimulus does it tell us that any substance will activate a sweetness receptor. As for C, I did two passes through the answers as well because it did seem too strong at first. The word "perceived" is key here, though. It seems we must assume that once a receptor is activated it cannot contribute any further to additional sweetness being perceived, and if that is the case, then one molecule per receptor is the sweetest that we could possibly perceive. However, that doesn't mean that sweeter substances do not exist, just that we would not be able to tell through taste that they are in fact sweeter. I hope that helps!