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You are here: Home / Your Body / How Does Your Nose Smell Things?

How Does Your Nose Smell Things?

August 5, 2020 by Karen Hill

The inside of your nose is like a chemical laboratory for smelling. It has the power to smell even extremely small amounts of an odor. Odors are actually tiny particles, or molecules, of gas that travel through the air and into your nose. In the highest part of your nose, these molecules touch a group of nerves called the olfactory nerves, which carry the “odor” messages to your brain.

If your brain recognizes the odor, it means you have smelled it before. If it is a new odor, your brain makes a record of it so you will remember it the next time you smell it.

Your brain can store, recognize, and remember tens of thousands of different smells!

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Filed Under: Your Body

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How Does Your Tongue Help You Chew?
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