10 bizarre and wonderful facts about the sense of smell

20.12.2019

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Science Story: 10 bizarre and wonderful facts about the sense of smell

We feel different scents every second of our life... but even scientists still don't know everything about the sense of smell. Anyway, there are some amazing scientific facts about it that will definitely surprise you.

#1

Science Story: We don't smell our own house because our brain feels safe in it — shutterstock

You may have noticed that you know how your friends' houses smell, but you don't feel any special odor at home. In fact, your house does smell – you just don't feel it because your nervous system got used to it. It's called olfactory adaptation, and that's also why you can't smell your own breath or body. When we are surrounded by some smells all the time, our brain interpret them as friendly ones and stop telling us to be aware of them. Instead, our nervous system watches out for danger and focuses on new scents.

#2

Science Story: People who have an impaired ability to smell tend to eat less healthy — shutterstock

The senses of smell and taste use the same receptors, so they are directly related. If someone's sense of smell is poor, they will also become less picky in food. People with poor senses of smell and taste tend to add more salt and sugar to their dishes and consume more bad fats.

#3

Science Story: Your sense of smell is sharper during warm seasons — shutterstock

Environmental conditions play an important role in how we perceive smells. In the summer and spring, there is more moisture in the air, which is good for our olfactory system, so we smell things better.

#4

Science Story: The loss of the ability to detect one or more smells is called anosmia — shutterstock

Anosmia can be temporary or permanent. Temporary anosmia can be caused by inflammation in the nasal passageways, which may result from different nose disorders. To prevent nose disorders, it's important to practice good hygiene, be aware of your allergies and use a humidifier at home if needed.

#5

Science Story: Each person's smell is unique, just like fingerprints — shutterstock

Your distinct odor is determined by your DNA. Your signature odor type won't change even if you radically change your diet.

#6

Science Story: We can detect at least one trillion different smells — shutterstock

Of course, no one still knows the exact number, but scientists discovered that there are no less than a trillion of smells we can identify.

#7

Science Story: Smells can unlock forgotten memories — shutterstock

The areas of our brain responsible for memories and smells are closely related. That's why the sense of smell is more successful at triggering memories than any other one. Smell is also the first sense to develop in an organism, which is why it's easier for us to perceive smells and memorize them, even without noticing it.

#8

Science Story: Some people can smell colors or touch scents — shutterstock

It's not a miracle – they just have a rare condition called synesthesia. Only 4% of people are synesthetes in some form. In synesthesia, stimulation of one of the senses triggers automatic experiences in another. This way, two or more senses can be linked to each other. Synesthesia is not a disease – some synesthetes even perform better than others on certain tests of memory and intelligence.

#9

Science Story: Your sweat doesn't smell — shutterstock

The bacteria and fungi that grow in a moist environment do. When you work out, such conditions develop in your underarms and shoes – that's where the smell comes from.

#10

Science Story: Dogs smell passage of time — shutterstock

Dogs' sense of smell is extremely powerful, so it often helps them to understand the world better. For example, when you leave for work, the amount of your body odor at home decreases with time, and your dog can easily and quite precisely measure it. From day to day, the dog learns to understand which exact amount of your smell means you'll be home soon. That's how the sense of smell helps your pet to predict your return. Dogs use their noses for many similar purposes in their life.

Was this information new for you? Which fact surprised you the most?

Tell us in the comments!

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20 Comments

Anne Roberts

I have always been interested in the sense of smell as well as other senses such as taste . When doing an Open university course in psychology at a summer school we were divided into groups of five and each group had to think up experiments I decided to experiment whether if a person agrees to be blind folded and set up to eat all the different flavours of crisps would they be able to identify the taste . Twenty subjects agreed to participate not one of them identified the crisp flavours correctly. Therefore it was obvious that our sense of taste can be affected by our sense of sight . This article is so interesting The fact a dog is able to know when the owner is coming home is good to know .My little Yorkshire Terrier I am sure is aware when my daughter and family are about to visit and perhaps that is because they look after her when I need them too

ninakamwene

An excellent educational trivia. You smell very 'smart' right now. Be well.

Perk

Very interesting, but I'd like to know who counted those trillion different smells.

Helen Dakin

When I was a child, I thought had multiple scoliosis because I had no sense of smell; although, occasionally my sense of smell is very good. And I'm a picky eater; although, I eat healthily.

Steve Tingle

Have had anosmia most of my life, though I can detect tiny amounts of escaping gas, but agree with the connection with taste and eating, I don't tend to like eating different meals, prefer to stick with bland filling meals (it's just as well I'm English).

Doris Dallaire

Most of this was new to me and I found it really interesting. Thanks for posting.

Mark Balfour

Extremely interesting. As the saying goes you learn something new everyday.

deborahpmercer

Fascinating! I actually have synesthesia, though in my case smell isn't involved - I associate colours with sound/music.

Gail Wood

Dogs smell the passage of Time surprised me.

Diane Herbert Wall

Sometimes I smell things when I remember something--I call it olfactory hallucinations!

ptsutton

Fun stuff!

shankapoo jones

Yes the information was new to me. Thanks!

carole winslow

Some new information - just wish someone had edited this and corrected the several references to "smell of sense."

Jim Adams

We don’t smell our home because we have become nose blind to them.

theotishaynes

One can learn something new everyday. Very informative and insightful article.

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