Sensitivity

Smell Human senses - smell

Fact file

The inside of the nose is covered in tiny hairs that act as smell receptors. They react to different chemicals in the air and send nerve impulses to the brain. The brain processes these impulses and we 'smell' the food in front of us, the freshly mown grass, or anything else around us.
Humans have a reasonable sense of smell. But other animals, like dogs, depend far more on this sense.
The parts of the brain that process smell information are also involved in memory. You may have noticed that sometimes, when you smell something, it often brings back memories associated with that object.

Activity:

Can you recognise a smell if you cannot see where the smell is coming from? Test this by collecting a range of smelly objects. Put them in boxes, so you cannot see them. Poke holes in the tops of the boxes and have a sniff. Record what you smell, and when you've finished, lift the lids on your boxes - were you right?
Some smell ideas: roses, vanilla, orange peels, bananas, cut grass, chocolate, onions...

Test your senses!

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