PTC test strips offer a simple and fascinating way to explore human genetics—right on your tongue. Each strip is coated with phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), a compound that tastes intensely bitter to some people, while others can’t taste it at all.

The difference comes down to a single gene: TAS2R38. If you carry at least one dominant allele for this gene, you’ll taste the bitterness. If you carry two recessive alleles, you won’t taste anything.

About 70% of people can detect the bitter taste of PTC, though this percentage varies across populations. For example, nearly 100% of Indigenous peoples in the Americas are tasters, compared to about 58% of those with European ancestry.

These strips are safe in small quantities and commonly used in biology classrooms to demonstrate Mendelian inheritance, sensory perception, and genetic variation. A single nucleotide change—just one letter out of over 3 billion in your DNA—can determine your reaction to this test: a grimace or a shrug.

• PTC (phenylthiocarbamide) only has a taste to 7 out of 10 people
• Perfect for a demonstration of genetics and heredity
• 30 micrograms of PTC on each strip - safe for taste testing
• Each strip measures 6mm x 48mm
• Each vial contains 100 test papers