How the sense of smell works

The action of the sense of smell helps us to recognize the presence of volatiles in the air by forming specific senses. Humans have the ability to perceive quite a lot of smells. This article will provide more information about the functioning of the olfactory nerve.

1. How many different scents can people smell?

Recent studies have found that our sense of smell can pick up on 1 trillion odors or more. You can compare using your nose with your eyes to identify perfume at the perfume counter. While our eyes can only perceive about 10 million colors, the nose perceives much more than that.

2. Which species has the best sense of smell?

If in humans there are 40 million smell receptors, in a dog there can be up to 2 billion. However, science has researched and proven that the sense of smell of bears is 7 times stronger than that of hunting dogs. They use their noses to find food, avoid danger, and locate mates. Killer whales are classified as animals with no sense of smell.

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3. Your sense of smell can be tiring at work

A lot of people don't know "how does the sense of smell work?". However, it is certain that too much strong odor can make the nose almost numb. This is known as "olfactory fatigue." The same thing happens when you stay in the kitchen for too long. At that time, you will no longer notice the scents around you unless you step out of the room and come back.

4. Do perfumes really smell different on different people?

You and your loved one can use the same perfume, but the scent of each person will not be the same. It's caused by a chemical reaction in your body. Everyone's skin is different (such as dry or oily skin). At the same time, each person also has a unique mixture of elements such as salt, protein, and hair. When the chemicals in perfume react with your skin, you get your own scent.

5. Smell activates memory

Some smells can actually bring back strong memories. Apple pie might remind you of baking with grandma. Chlorine can remind you of your first swim lesson. Your olfactory nerve can help stimulate memories of past events, researchers say.

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6. What can affect your sense of smell?

Tobacco or other products such as: Antibiotics and blood pressure drugs... can affect the functioning of the sense of smell. Sinus problems, a cold, the flu, or a head injury can also affect the ability of the olfactory nerve to function. Diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's also significantly affect a person's sense of smell. Some women report that their sense of smell becomes more intense during pregnancy.

7. You can "train" your sense of smell

Here's how you can practice your sense of smell: Put herbs or spices in a container and mix them up. Inhale gently with your eyes closed. Practice until you identify the masterful scent of each ingredient in this blend.

8. Smell and taste are linked

Smell and taste are linked, which also helps explain why when you have a cold, food seems really different. When your nose is blocked and you can't smell it, your idea of what food tastes like completely changes.

9. We can smell everything while we sleep

We can be woken up by the smell of coffee. Coffee doesn't wake us up. During the early stages of sleep, certain odors can affect us. However, once we've enjoyed the drink or food, we don't get excited when we smell it. This also explains why people use alarm clocks that sound - not smell.

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Reference source: webmd.com

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