Sense Of Smell

Smell is a very direct sense. In order for you to smell something, molecules from that thing have to make it to your nose. Everything you smell, therefore, is giving off molecules -- whether it is bread in the bakery, onions, perfume, a piece of fruit or whatever. Those molecules are generally light, volatile (easy to evaporate) chemicals that float through the air into your nose. A piece of steel has no smell because nothing evaporates from it -- steel is a non-volatile solid.At the top of your nasal passages behind your nose, there is a patch of special neurons about the size of a postage stamp. These neurons are unique in that they are out in the open where they can come into contact with the air. They have hair-like projections called cilia that increase their surface area. An odor molecule binds to these cilia to trigger the neuron and cause you to perceive a smell. I have always had a keen sense of smell, as i get older it is getting more sensitive, some say that a woman's sense of smell is more prevalent than a mans because of there "hormones". "I wonder" about that. A woman can smell a dirty diaper on a baby right away, but a man doesn't seem to smell a thing, but burn dinner and there sense of smell "wakes up". If i tell you that you have a gas leak, you best check and see, my senses are not wrong. It can be rather annoying at times, to have this sensitivity, but on the other hand i can smell some things that are very pleasing. I can sense the beautiful smells of nature, they are calming wonderful smells. I can smell a certain smell of individual people. I know my children, grandchildren and my husbands smell. This may sound odd, but true. Friends houses have a certain smell as well. An oddity,,, "I wonder".