Science Daily Online has spoken previously about the relationship of memories and smells.This time we will discuss what is related to the sense of smell and everything that our perception through the nose means.
A somewhat forgotten sense
When we eat any food we can taste it thanks to smell , since its flavor is determined by its smell in almost 90% of cases.When having the flu, for example, and covering our nose, we can confirm that the food doesn't taste like anything: we don't find the taste in soup or stew or pizza.
If not we have no sense of smell, nor will we have a sense of taste, because the tongue can only perceive the salty, the sweet, the acid and the bitter; the other nuances put the smell.
What is the smell?
It is difficult to answer, because some substances have stronger odors than others Of course, it's basically perceive smell, smell.For this, the substances we perceive must be gaseous, fat or water soluble; and our sensitivity varies for each substance .
This sensitivity is expressed with the threshold value, which represents the minimum concentration of a substance that can be detected by half of people present in a certain place.An example? A substance such as chloroform is detected with only 130 molecules in a million air molecules; chlorophenols with 3 in one hundred billion air molecules (chlorophenols are a type of substance that is produced when chlorine is added to phenol.It is used mostly in pesticides and antiseptics, and also to bleach wood pulp when paper is made.It is super polluting).
What is smell for?
For many things: it is decisive in sexual attraction (when talking about the chemistry between two people, in reality what is referred to is the "compatibility of odors" or taste for the smell of a certain person).But it is somewhat unconscious, Well, this smell can't be detected.
Interestingly, sweat and urine (that's right, urine!) play a preponderant role when two people like each other, but only It is possible when these odors are barely detectable; both sweat and urine contain hormones that trigger the attraction or repulsion of the sexes.Many times these types of odor are added to perfumes to recreate that attraction.
Also It helps us detect when a food is in bad or rotten state, or when there are toxic substances present.
The consumer industry often uses smells to make us buy; An example of this is certain supermarkets that place bread ovens.
Also, the smell can change our mood.In Japan , for example, there are some office buildings that released in the air conditioning, in the morning, fresh scents so that employees have a better mood and are more productive.The smell is essential for a pleasant environment.
On the negative side, a bad Smell can sometimes lead to headaches, nausea, decreased appetite, increased stress or sleep disturbances, and, of course, loss of customers if it is a store that smells bad.
Sense exacerbated
You will have heard about the novel The perfume , which was taken to the cinema a few years ago.The protagonist had a super developed sense of smell, but instead It had no body odor.Obviously it is a fiction thing, but there are certainly people who smell more than others what is around it.
This sense must be developed.Good exercise is to try to describe the smells that surround us every day and pay attention to them.In addition to refining our sense of smell, we will learn to enjoy every moment and improve our memory.
And what do you think? Are you one of the people who barely smell or, on the contrary, detect even the smallest tuffillo? Share your experiences constructively.
Images: burningbliss, SengMing Tan
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