Ósculo is the fine term for the word kiss. The kiss is recognized in most cultures around the world. The vast majority of adults around the world have experienced the clumsiness, excitement, confusion, and pleasure of it. But one must admit that on the face the practice of kissing is more than a little strange. Why would the exchange of leftover saliva salad and dinner be considered a desirable event, a ritual of passion? Since kissing is so common, it must play an important role in the dance of human sexuality. But what exactly is that role?
Opinions among scholars differ as to the function and origins of kissing. One hypothesis is that kissing has evolved as a mechanism for gathering information about potential sexual partners. A kiss brings us into close physical proximity to the other, close enough to smell and taste them. The face area is rich in glands that secrete chemicals that carry genetic and immune information. Our saliva carries hormonal messages. A person's breath, as well as the taste of their lips and the feel of their teeth, are signs of things about their health and hygiene, and therefore their procreative adequacy.
Another hypothesis affirms that the kiss works mainly on the level of psychology, as a way to express and reinforce feelings of trust, closeness and intimacy with another. Just as the clinking of glasses of wine allows us to bring the audience to the sensory experience of drinking (which already involves all the other senses), so the kiss allows us to invite the senses of taste and smell to participate in the celebration of intimacy and make the event deeper and more complete. Also, when we kiss someone, we take that person into our vulnerable personal space and accept to take the risk.of contracting an infection or disease. A kiss is, therefore, an implicit expression of openness and trust. A kiss also shows that you are not backing away from the other's bodily fluids. Recent research has suggested that sexual arousal, especially among women, works to suppress feelings of disgust.
