Of all the human senses, smell is the one that influences us the most. From disgusting smells that identify rotting foods, to the sweet smell of cinnamon, smells influence us in many ways. But what is the chemistry behind smells? Smells are molecules that are perceived by millions of olfactory receptors in the nose that immediately transmit this information to olfactory bulbs and thence to the brain itself. Unlike the other four senses, smell is transmitted directly to the brain from the olfactory bulbs, and the information is not mediated in the cortex beforehand. The human nose is able to distinguish over twenty thousands smells, but that is nothing compared to cats, who are an order of magnitude better, and dogs, whose nose is even more sensitive.
This book explains how chemical information is processed by our smell organs, and why some smells are more offensive than others. It describes two different smell processes, as well as diseases that affect one's sense of smell. Filled with informative texts and illustrations, this book is a wonderful guide to learn more about how our sense of smell works!
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