The Science of Smell

Laboratory tests consistently prove that the sense of smell is subjective. Even though there is some agreement about whether an odor smells foul or fragrant, there is almost no way the individual odor can be placed into a specific fragrance category since different people will describe it in different ways.

Some researchers speculate that this phenomenon is caused by odor "imprinting." Certain smells will remind us of people, places, things, or happenings. For some reason, odors seem to affect our memory and maybe even our learning process.

The science of the sense of smell is fascinating. With the discovery of pheromones (scent signals released by insects and mammals to communicate with others in their species), the science is undergoing a revival of interest. The question most asked by researchers is whether humans also release pheromones, and if we do release these scent signals, what messages are we sending and receiving?

The lack of a satisfactory odor classification system is complicating the work being done by researchers. However, Dr. John Amoore is making progress in attempting to define "primary odors" which would correspond to the primary tastes. Everything we eat and drink is flavored, either singly or in combinations of four primary tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. By identifying primary odors, a scientifically valid odor classification system could be established. It would then be possible for researchers to study the effects of fragrance by tracing the brain activity and noting the body's physiological response to each primary odor. Because the sense of smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than the sense of taste, it could be a long time before we have a complete understanding of odors and their effects.

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Source : auracacia.com