what is exactly the smell? i mean, our nose allows us to smell, and read the data, of the smell, and smell it that way we do, i mean, is the smell a kind of radiations? or a gas? well, i think it's mostly a gas, and, what is that gas? how does it form? how does it get, evaporated, or released?

What is the smell?

Apologies, a heavy dinner ;)

Anyhoo, let me introduce you to this, found using Google. Heard of it?http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/nose-throat/question139.htm

It's particles.
Look here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olfaction) and here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odor).

what is exactly the smell? i mean, our nose allows us to smell, and read the data, of the smell, and smell it that way we do, i mean, is the smell a kind of radiations? or a gas? well, i think it's mostly a gas, and, what is that gas? how does it form? how does it get, evaporated, or released?I don't think they know yet. There are a couple of camps, the vibrationists and the Shapists. The former thinking that something like organic spectroscopy is going on in the nose. See....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibration_theory_of_olfaction

I just read a book about Turin - called The Emporer of Scent - who reinvigorated the vibration theory and is quite a character.

And then Shape theories

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_theory_of_olfaction

I think in the end it will be the vibrationists who win, though some experimentation at the very least failed to confirm their hypotheses.

You have receptor cells in your nostrils that react to contact with a specific molecule. There are many different types of cells (I don't know the number offhand but it's at least in the dozens) so you can sense many different types of molecules. Each cell is connected to a nerve and when this contact is made it sends a signal, notifying your brain of the contact. Each set of nerves of a specific kind is bunched and goes into a specific brain center, where your synapses intepret that contact as a specific "smell." Most of the odors we identify are actually combinations of many different molecules in various proportions.

However: Note that not all of these senses are conscious. In other words, some sensor cells make contact with their particular type of molecule and send a signal to the brain, but the brain does not alert you to it by giving you the sensation of a "smell." You can react unconsciously, as your brain generates a sense of fear, lust, competition, etc. These molecules that trigger "unconscious smells" are called pheromones.

trigger "unconscious smells" are called pheromones.


Can are particular smell be labeled seminiferous? :D

ah ok; great; thanks guys, that was usefull :D

sense of smell is one of our five senses. specific receptor cells receive molecules from air in our nose which then send message to brain. brain then interprets this message to the nature of smell which we then feel.

sense of smell is one of our five senses.
We have more than five senses.

We have more than five senses.
You have the sense of honor about you.
And you would need that if you talked to dead people.

You have the sense of honor about you.
And you would need that if you talked to dead people.
Hmm, I've been known to talk to brain-dead people. Does that count? :D

With regard to my previous claim:

The traditional five senses are sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste /snip/ Humans are considered to have at least five additional senses /snip/ and six more
Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense). (Of course).

Hmm, I've been known to talk to brain-dead people. Does that count? :D

With regard to my previous claim:

Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense). (Of course).

Ahh, and a sense of humor as well. Thanks for getting the link. Someday we will not have the drudgery of research. The AI program will be listening in, and sensing our link needs, gluing an insidious pop-up to our mouse pointer...drop it in place if it senses jubilation from us...or deleting it, if it senses annoyance...

Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense). (Of course).

I think they forgot one of the most important! :D
Or am I superficial reading the wiki? :scratchin:

what is exactly the smell?

Revolution in the air, freedom smells good!

I can sense when people just google stuff into this message board! LOL ;)

ANyway, I can prove that sometimes, smell is a gas... this is my friend Simon...

youtube.com/watch?v=nikTTnGlnKE

ANyway, I can prove that sometimes, smell is a gas... this is my friend Simon...

youtube.com/watch?v=nikTTnGlnKE
And what do you think these gasses are made up of?

(I'll give you a hint. Refer to Fraggle's post... Post #5)

That's right! Molecules!

Thanks to Dwyddyr's wiki link, I now know there really is such a thing as a smell-o-scope (FARNSWORTH!)

I had sinus surgery in December...I am now smelling things again for the first in quite some time and...I needed more deodorant...

The vibration theory could explain why I got this odd sensation when my sense of scent started returning; rather like a "ghost smell", as if I was getting an "impression" of scent, instead of the scent itself. There was a feeling of pressure in the region where the scent receptors are located coupled with this.

Now back to mostly smelling things provided I irrigate well and use antihistamines.

(I love the smell of napalm in the morning...smells like victory...)

No one seems to have pointed out yet that Richard Axel and Linda Buck were awarded the Nobel Prize (http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2004/illpres/index.html) for their work on odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system.

So I will.

Anyway, having once in my whole life experienced an olfactory hallucination, which is an extremely weird type of event, can confirm, that whatever processes go on in the nose and toungue, smell and taste are just thought processes at the end of the day.

We have more than five senses.Our sense of "touch" is multiple senses: pressure, friction, heat, cold. We also have a kinesthetic sense that allows you to accurately touch your knee in the dark--even touch your knee with your elbow in the dark. We have a sense of balance, using the fluid in our semicircular canals--this is also used to sense that we are falling. We have a sense of hunger, a sense of thirst and a sense of insufficient oxygen. Most of what we call "taste" is actually smell; the only "flavors" we sense with our taste buds are sweet, sour, salt, bitter and savory. This is why food tastes bland if your nose is stopped up.

I'm pretty sure there are a couple more that I'm not remembering.

We have a sense of balance, using the fluid in our semicircular canals--this is also used to sense that we are falling.

And if your eustachian tubes swell shut and then pressurize, which they tend to do unevenly?
Vertigo! Which is the really weird sensation that the whole world is trying to turn sideways and slide you off.
Makes it hard to drive.

Our sense of "touch" is multiple senses: pressure, friction, heat, cold. We also have a kinesthetic sense that allows you to accurately touch your knee in the dark--even touch your knee with your elbow in the dark. We have a sense of balance, using the fluid in our semicircular canals--this is also used to sense that we are falling. We have a sense of hunger, a sense of thirst and a sense of insufficient oxygen. Most of what we call "taste" is actually smell; the only "flavors" we sense with our taste buds are sweet, sour, salt, bitter and savory. This is why food tastes bland if your nose is stopped up.

I'm pretty sure there are a couple more that I'm not remembering.

O.K. Another one of my fabulous true life stories . I was installing fiber glass insulation and the ceiling was 13 ft. high but the scaffold was only high enough to just reach the ceiling fully extended and even to maneuver my hands and arms I had to stand on the tips of my toes . So looking straight up I could see insulation fibers falling off the leading edge of the fiber glass in the sun light shining threw the window . Falling right into my eye. I tried to flush it out and it burned and itched, but I could not seem to get it out even with the brushing technique we use on our arms with water. The next day I had a big red spot on the white of my eye . Shit I said to my self The F word the F word , but Me being Me I blew off going to the doctor. About 2 weeks go by and the big red spot was still there . I still would not go to the doctor but started to become worried . Then it must have been about another week and blood started coming out of my mouth. Some where back by the area were my wisdom teeth were removed as a teenager . I thought for sure all my teeth were going to fall out and made no connection with the red spot in my eye. The blood stopped flowing after about 2 days and at the end of the 2 days I noticed the red spot was gone from my eye . Never did go to the Doc , but I have though that the fiber glass and blood traveled threw my sinus cavities and out threw the roof of my mouth way in the back or even out of my mouth were my wisdom teethe use to be . Don't know , glad I lived and the bleeding stopped and as far as I can tell no lasting effects

And if your eustachian tubes swell shut and then pressurize, which they tend to do unevenly?
Vertigo! Which is the really weird sensation that the whole world is trying to turn sideways and slide you off.
Makes it hard to drive.

I suffer from vertigo and it is no fun at all. It comes and goes and as far as I am concerned it can just go. I think it is related to my passing out . I don't pass out much but that feeling of vertigo is similar to the feeling before black out . The best thing to do is to lay down on your belly if you start to feel the effects of vertigo. Especially if your ears start ringing

I don't black out usually...the world just rotates on me after I blow my nose. :rolleyes:

what is exactly the smell? i mean, our nose allows us to smell, and read the data, of the smell, and smell it that way we do, i mean, is the smell a kind of radiations? or a gas? well, i think it's mostly a gas, and, what is that gas? how does it form? how does it get, evaporated, or released?

Smell is just like taste that our mouth tastes. Smell is something that is tasted by our nose. And then tells us what is good and pleasant smell and what is bad.

ah i see
thanks all for the links, they were usefull

Can are particular smell be labeled seminiferous? :D
Semen contains citric acid, free amino acids, fructose, enzymes, phosphorylcholine, prostaglandin, potassium, and zinc.

I think the main source of the scent is the mixture of amino acids.

I suffer from vertigo . . . .You suffer from vertigo, yet you were standing on your tiptoes on a very tall ladder, trying to touch a ceiling that you couldn't quite reach???