Welcome to olfaction!

This site is a comprehensive guide to how we smell (a process called olfaction), exploring everything from the physiological system that translates sensory input to the organic structures that dictate aroma.

Within this project, you can find our synthesis of modern olfactory research, including –

Let's get after it 🤠

What are odors?

Odors are volatile chemicals that, when interacting with physiological and neurological systems, are perceived as smells. The molecules that produce odors are known as aroma compounds, or odorants. High vapor pressure allows odorants to be dispersed through the air.

How do we detect smells?

Humans have sensory neurons (referred to as olfactory receptors) in the back of our nasal cavities. Each neuron has cilia extending into the air with receptor proteins on the end that bind to aroma compounds. An electrical signal in each neuron sends information to olfactory nerves (or olfactory bulbs) in the brain. Humans require a minimum number of compounds to inhale before we can detect a scent. Some scents may not be identifiable because we do not process single compounds or their concentrations, but rather a combination of compounds.