The Nose Knows by Mallory Baum

Did you know that the average person can detect one trillion scents?

      For a person to smell something, molecules from that smell have to make it to your nose. Everything that you smell gives off molecules Odor signals received by odorant receptors communicated by olfactory sensory neurons in the olfactory epithelium which are symbolized as an odor map in the olfactory bulb (Lopez, Osher, Howard, Parrish, Gottfried, & Jay, 2010). The olfactory bulb is responsible for controlling the nerves related to odor in the brain system.

     Smelling starts when you sniff molecules in the air through your nostrils. About 95% of your nasal cavity is just used to filter the air before it hits your lungs. Towards the back of your nose is called the olfactory epithelium, a little patch of skin that is the key to smell. The olfactory epithelium has a layer of olfactory receptor cells. When odor molecules hit the back of your nose they get stuck in a layer of mucous covering the olfactory epithelium. As they dissolve they bind to the olfactory cells, which fire and send signals to the olfactory track up to your brain (Kensaku & Hitoshi, 2011). The olfactory cortex is found in the limbic system region of the brain.

Fun facts about the sense of smell (George, 2014):

1. Scent cells are renewed every 30 to 60 days.
2. You can smell fear and disgust. You can smell feelings or fear and disgust through sweat, and you can experience the same emotions.
3. Smell is the oldest sense.
4. Women have a better sense of smell then men.  

References

George, N. (2014, October 3).  10 incredible facts about the sense of smell.  Retrieved from 

            http://everydayhealth.com/news/incredible-facts-about-your-sense-smell/

Kensaku, M. & Hitoshi, S. (2011) How is the olfactory map formed and interpreted by 

          mammalian brain? Annual Review of Neuroscience, 34(1), 467-499. 

Lopez, W., Osher, L., Howard, J., Parrish, J. D., Gottfried, T. B., & Jay, A. (2010) Orbital cortex  

          mediates conscious olfactory perception. Psychological Science, 21(10), 1454-1463.