Sense Of Smell Essay

Part A – complete the following questions (How does our sense of smell work and why is it important?)

1. How does the sense of smell work in humans and in a variety of different animals?

The sense of smell works in humans and a variety of different animals by sensing the molecules that an object is giving off. These molecules are very light and volatile (easily evaporated) chemicals. They are dispersed in the air and make way to our nose. Behind your nose at the top of your nasal passageway, there are a small patch of neurons similar to the size of a postage stamp. Neurons are a special cell that sends nerve impulses. These neurons differ from other neurons as they are in the open. This allows them to come in contact with the air. Cilia are

Animals on the other hand, use smells to communicate by marking their territory by secreting chemicals called pheromones. They get released into the air or an object by using the animals’ scent gland. In a domestic cat, a common action that they do is rubbing their head against someone. This actually signals that they are marking their territory. Some animals such as the Mule Deer identify their family by scent. The young deer has a tendency to identify their mothers by sniffing at their scent glands which are located on their hind legs just above their

Our chemo sensation is our ability to detect chemical stimuli. When food is chewed, the person unintentionally pushes air through their nasal passages. Through this process, we smell the food to which gives us a very large ability to process flavour. The area of a sensory cortex that refers to smell is placed in a similar area to the part of the sensory cortex that refer to taste. The smell is only activated when it hits the neurons. Obtaining information (scent) from the back of the mouth is process called retro nasal olfaction, but obtaining information (scent) via our nostrils is ortho nasal