§5.5 Flashcards
What is the nasal cavity?
It contains cells that detect many different odours
What are olfactory cells?
Cells that can detect great many different odours
Olfactory cells are kept moist by?
Mucus
What does the mucus?
Chemicals become dissolved in it
When enough chemicals are inhaled…
The olfactory cells send nerve impulses to the brain
What does the brain after nerve impulses are send to it?
The brain interprets the odour
How can you identify an odour?
If it is recognised from a previous experience
What if you don’t recognise the odour?
Your brain creates a memory so you will remember it the next time you smell the odour
The mucus inside your nasal cavity is produced continuously, what does that mean?
It washes away inhaled chemicals, so the olfactory cells are kept clean and prepared for your next inhalation
Why do you get used to smells easily?
Olfactory cells can stop sending nerve impulses very quickly
Why is the human nose one of the best air filters?
It can detect dangerous chemicals before you inhale them, the nose hairs block most of the germs and dust in the air you breathe, there are grooves in the nasal cavity which make the inhaled air swirl like stream currents
