phenylthiocarbamide (thing) by brainwave

PTC is also an abbreviation for phenylthiocarbamide which is a crystalline compound with the formula C₆H₅NHCSNH₂ As described in the node hitchhiker's thumb it is often used in Biology classes to illustrate the genetic transmission of the ability to taste the compound within a family. Unfortunately:

It has not been approved by the FDA.
It is described as a rodenticide in Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials (DPIM)
According to the Merck Index, the lethal dose for rats is 40 mg/kg of body mass.

Teachers would be well advised to look into using a similar chemical, called 6-n-propylthiouracil, also known as PROP for their classroom experiments.

Variety in the sense of taste in people	hitchhiker's thumb	sodium benzoate	PTC
phenylthiourea	supertaster	pharmacogenetic	taste bud
mid-digital hair	genetic