25 Truths About Smelling That Will Make You Appreciate Your Nose

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• published: 27 Apr 2016
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Smelling is one of those things that many of us take for granted. Of course, if you were going to lose any of your senses, your sense of smell would probably be the most logical choice. But don't be fooled. It is still more important than you think. The technical term for this sense is "olfaction". It occurs when odorant molecules bind to olfactory receptors inside your nose. So yes, whatever you are smelling is actually little pieces of that substance attaching themselves to the inside of your nose. Nice to know right? Here's a fun fact for you - not everybody can smell the same odors. While you may be able to smell some things, your friend may only be able to smell others. All of this boils down to genetics. In order to smell something, your genetic code has to allow for it. In fact, whether or not people like certain foods has been traced back to their genes. This is because if you are (un) able to smell certain odors, it actually changes the way you taste food. That's right, your sense of smell has a big effect on your sense of taste. These are 25 truths about smelling that will make you appreciate your nose! Follow us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/list25 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/list25 Website: http://list25.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/list25/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/list25/ Check out the physical list here: http://list25.com/25-truths-about-smelling-that-will-make-you-appreciate-your-nose/ Elephants can smell water from 12 miles away! When blindfolded, people have a hard time distinguishing between the smell of parmesan cheese and vomit In 1987 the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company sent out scratch and sniff stickers which were meant to let people know what gas leaks smelled like. The stickers worked so well that people actually reported false leakages (because of the stickers) There are bacteria on dog paws that make them smell like corn chips. This phenomenon is known as "frito feet". The Vasor 136 is a device that takes advantage of bees' superior sense of smell. It basically contains a bunch of bees and each bee is trained to identify a different stench The smell of cut grass is actually "plant anguish". When plants are attacked, they release chemical compounds that can potentially attract predators that would feed on their attackers (the attackers are usually caterpillars or something similarly small) Scientists have found that body odor might help us find mates. We tend to prefer people who smell different from us Farts get their smell from chemicals such as Skatole and Indole. At low concentrations these compounds actually smell flowery and are used in perfume One of the "cures" that doctors suggested for the bubonic plaque was fart jars. They told people to fart into jars and then take a whiff. Medicine has come a long way. The chemicals that give oranges and lemons their smell are all but the same (they are only mirror images), but our noses are sensitive enough to tell them apart. Outro Links: 25 Manly Facts About Beards You Should Know: http://bit.ly/1Tdpt1u 25 Amazing Facts About Colors That You Never Saw Coming: http://bit.ly/1WStNc0 Featured Image: "Dog Nose" by kennykunie (https://www.flickr.com/photos/26535752@N08/10719988884)