Smell

The perception of odors by humans and animals is carried out by special sense organs (olfactory receptors) located in the upper parts of the nasal cavity. In animals, the sense of smell serves to search and find food, orientate in space, is one of the means of communication (“marking” territory, finding and recognizing an individual of the opposite sex), etc.

For humans, the sense of smell is less important than for animals, but the loss of smell is perceived quite painfully by humans (remember how tasteless any food becomes with a severe runny nose). People with impaired sense of smell are more likely to suffer from food poisoning, because... They cannot determine the good quality of a particular food by smell. Each person has many associations with smells; the sense of smell increases the amount of information about the surrounding world perceived by a person.

A bad smell can ruin your mood, but a good smell can improve it. Odors are perceived by special receptors located on the so-called olfactory surface of the nasal mucosa, where there are about 50 million individual olfactory receptors in an area of ​​only 5-10 cm2. Moreover, the surface of each such receptor increases many times due to the smallest processes.

The mucous surface on which the olfactory receptors are located is constantly moistened by the secretions of these cells. Odorous substances, along with the air current, enter the nasal cavity, dissolve in mucus and irritate the receptors, from where information about the smell is transmitted along the olfactory nerve to the brain, where our impression of the nature of the smell (its strength, quality, etc.) is formed.

The olfactory analyzer is capable of distinguishing an infinite number of types of odorous substances and their combinations (compositions). A sniffer dog, for example, is able to find a specific person among many others by smell, because Every person, every animal has a characteristic odor that is unique to him (the smell of a person is as individual as the patterns on his fingertips), which is used in forensics.

Sensitivity to the same odor can vary. The sense of smell is most acute in spring and summer, especially in warm, humid weather; in the light the sense of smell is sharper than in the dark.

Prolonged irritation of receptors by an odorous substance causes addiction to its smell, which a person ceases to feel. It is possible to increase sensitivity to one odor after exposure to another (contrasting), mutual weakening of odors in a mixture of odorous substances, merging of odors of several substances into a qualitatively different odor (this property of the sense of smell is taken into account in perfumery).

Olfactory sensitivity decreases with age. Impaired sense of smell - from its complete loss (anosmia) to increased sensitivity to odors (hyperosmia) - occurs with inflammatory diseases of the nasal mucosa, with tumors and injuries of certain parts of the brain, with certain mental illnesses (in these cases, impaired sense of smell is usually accompanied by olfactory hallucinations ).

A distorted sense of smell is often observed in pregnant women. If you lose your sense of smell, you should consult a doctor.

Smell: The amazing ability to discern the world of smells

The sense of smell is one of the most amazing and complex senses that humans and many animals possess. This ability allows us to perceive and distinguish the odors of substances in our environment. From the scents of flowers to the smells of food or dangerous chemicals, the sense of smell plays an important role in our daily lives.

The human nose is an amazing organ, capable of perceiving thousands of different odor molecules. Our smell receptors are located in the nasal cavity and are contained in special cells called neuronal smell receptors. Each neural receptor is capable of recognizing specific odor molecules and transmitting information about them to the brain.

The brain plays a key role in processing odor information received from neural olfactory receptors. The signals transmitted by the receptors pass through complex neural networks and reach the olfactory cortex of the brain. This is where information is analyzed and interpreted, allowing us to recognize and differentiate between different odors. It's amazing that our brains are able to remember smells and associate them with certain memories or emotions. This is why certain smells can trigger strong emotional reactions or memories from the past in us.

The sense of smell also plays an important role in the animal kingdom. Many animals, such as dogs, cats and mice, have a developed sense of smell, which allows them to hunt, find food, detect danger and communicate with others of their species. The ability to smell can vary significantly among different species of animals. For example, dogs have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell and can be used to detect people or drugs, and some insects can detect incredibly faint pheromone odors.

The sense of smell also has applications in our daily lives. Perfumers and fragrance makers use knowledge of our smell receptors to create different scents that can evoke different emotions or associations in people. In addition, some professions, such as sommeliers or taste testers, require a developed sense of smell to recognize and appreciate different aromas and tastes.

Overall, the sense of smell is an amazing and powerful ability that enriches our lives. It allows us to enjoy the scents of nature, recognize dangers, and find pleasure in food and drink. Understanding how the sense of smell works can help us better understand ourselves and the world around us. It reminds us that our feelings and perceptions are fundamental aspects of our being, and it is worth appreciating their splendor and complexity.

How often do you pay attention to what smells are around you? Are these smells always pleasant and beneficial for us, or can they cause disgust or even cause illness? This is exactly what this article will be about, namely about the ability of humans and some animals to perceive the world around them through olfactory receptors.

The sense of smell (the ability of humans and some other animals to detect and recognize odors) plays a huge role in our daily lives. Through smells we can determine the species, gender, age, danger and even the emotional state of an object. Thanks to this ability, we can search for food, avoid predators and much more. Except