How Can We Smell Different Things?

How Can We Smell Different Things?

Remember that beautiful smell of moist soil? Or the papers of your notebook in school and even the scent that your friend wears? Even we get a slightest hint of these smells, we fall in to the world of memories instantly. The questions remain…

How does our nose manage to catch the smell?

And how can we save it in mind?

Well, it’s not just the nose alone! The real magic happens in the brain. First of all, we need to understand the world of smells around us. They are everywhere. Everything emits certain type of aroma in small or big quantities. The ones which emit more invisible fragrance particles – can be detected from further distance because they do not fade away quickly.

You would have noticed how the nose goes blank when you have flu. The aromatic particles which do not fade away, and successfully make it to the roof of our nostrils, ultimately trigger a sensation! Which doesn’t happen when you have flu.

So, here is how the scientific process of smelling happens!!!

Step 1: When the fragrance reaches the nose

On the upper part of our nostrils, there are fields of epithelial tentacles which are home to millions of receptors. When the fragrance particles reach here, they join with some of the receptors.

Step 2: Receptor activation and electric signals

The receptors get activated upon contact by the particle and they do chemical reaction which results in creation of electric signal. Tiny axons carry those electrical messages to brain across the skull.

Step 3: Collection of all signals at one place

The electrical signals received from same type of receptors across the nose are then sent to one region called glomeruli. Other types of fragrance receptors reach other respective glomeruli.

Step 4: Transmission of signals to the brain

These signals are then transmitted through long cable like cells called neurons, to a special region of brain where they are combined with taste signals. And finally they are perceived as smell sensation.

When a fragrance is perceived, the brain tries to look for history of similar instances to strengthen its impulse and feeling. This way, the new signal and old references create a strong experience filled with aroma, memories and emotions. The brain saves an already known smell along the thread of similar experiences and if the brain comes across a new fragrances, it creates a new thread in which the future experiences would be saved.

Such a complex process takes place before you can actually make sense of smell. Imagine sniffing the same smell of poop for your entire life! Imagine how strong its memory would have been by now! That’s why it is difficult to ignore the smelly poop. Better way is to mask it with a new fragrance which connects you with relaxing and motivating memories.