Olfaction How do we smell
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OLFATION: HOW DO WE SMELL?
Olfaction, or smell, is one of the chemical senses. It is so called because it senses chemicals, and smells are chemicals. With this sense we sample our environment for information, by continuously testing the quality of the air we breathe, alerting us to potential dangers such as fires or leaking gas. It informs us of other relevant information, such as the presence of food or another individual, and is important for maternal functions, emotional responses, and neuroendocrine regulation (Freeman, W.J. (1991) The physiology of perception. Scientific American (Feb), 34-41.) The chemicals detected by our sensory systems need to have certain properties. For instance, odour molecules must be small enough to be volatile (greater than 300-400 relative molecular mass) so that they can vaporise, reach the nose and then dissolve in the mucus...