The Five Senses: Smell

To begin to understand what smell is we must talk about the organ responsible for this sense: the nose. 

The nose is a protuberance located between the eyes and the mouth. It is part of our respiratory system,  allowing us to breathe in and out. In addition to breathing, the nose allows different odors to enter from our surroundings.

THE PROCESS OF SMELL

1.  Molecules in the air reach the nostrils by breathing.

2. Specialized receptor cells called olfactory receptor neurons detect the odor.

3.  The olfactory receptors transmit the information to the olfactory nerve, which is located at the back of the nose.

4.  The olfactory nerve sends the information to the brain and the brain interprets the information as smell.

INTERESTING FACTS

• People can detect at least one trillion distinct smells.

• Olfactory cells are renewed every 30 to 60 days.

• Women have a better sense of smell than men.

• Dogs have nearly 44 times more olfactory cells than humans .

• Each human being has their own distinct odor.

• Our sense of smell peaks during our late teens, when we are around 18 or 19 years old.

Do you want to learn more about the sense of smell? Visit this website!

https://www.parkscandles.com/blog/21-weird-and-wonderful-facts-about-scents-and-smell

Thank you, Carlos Torregrosa, for this amazing contribution to our blog!