This animation depicts the inhalation of air and scent molecules from a rose into an enlarged sagittal view of the nasal cavity. The smell receptors are magnified further to show their action of relaying a neural message of “scent” to the brain.
As a person inhales, air and scent molecules move past the smell receptors in the nose. In turn, the smell receptors relay a signal to the brain. Smells can trigger memories and emotional responses.
Reviewed last on: 10/5/2008
Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Gene Therapeutics Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
