The human sense of smell is often seen as insignificant, dismissed as a distant also-ran to our keen eyesight or sensitive hearing. But this sense is keener and more influential on our species than many people realize. (“The Hidden Power of Scent” by Josie Glausiusz, in Scientific American Mind, August/September 2008:38)
Chemistry started out as “alchemy” (a little science, a whole lotta mysticism). In the end (no matter whose end you’re trying to end up in!) it still comes down to knowing – and sowing – a little “chemistry.” Smelling is chemistry.
The nasal cavity has roughly twelve million odor-detecting cells. Each odor-detecting cell has one of about 350 different olfactory receptor proteins and is specialized for sensing a limited number of dormant odor molecules.
These receptor proteins work in different combinations to enable people to detect at least ten thousand distinct scents.
