Smell

Question 1

There are roughly _____ distinct odours.

Answer 1

10,000.

Question 2

What are Henning’s 6 primary odours?

Answer 2

Burned, Fragrant, Spicy, Putrid, Ethereal, Resinous.

Question 3

What word can be used to describe typical chemical stimuli for smell?

Answer 3

Organic.

Question 4

What 3 things are smell stimuli usually composed of a mixture of?

Answer 4

Compounds of Vegetation, Decaying Matter & Smells from the Glands of Animals.

Question 5

What is air warmed and humidified by in the nose?

Answer 5

Baffles.

Question 6

How many olfactory receptors do we have?

Answer 6

Around 10 million.

Question 7

How often are olfactory receptors replaced?

Answer 7

Every 4 to 8 weeks.

Question 8

What hypothesis can be used to describe how we encode smells?

Answer 8

Lock and key hypothesis (between particular oderant molecules and specific proteins in cilia membrane).

Question 9

What 3 places do the axons from the olfactory bulb project to?

Answer 9

1. Olfactory cortex
2. Thalamus
3. Lower centres of the limbic system (emotion)

Question 10

What theory can be used to describe the way we encode odour?

Answer 10

Cross fibre theory.

Question 11

What do 4 things do detection thresholds of odour depend on?

Answer 11

1. Substance
2. Purity
3. Method of delivery
4. Personal differences

Question 12

The human olfactory system can detect Mercaptan at 1 part per _______ parts of air?

Answer 12

50 billion.

Question 13

What gender is more sensitive to odour?

Answer 13

Female.

Question 14

How many difference anosmias are there?

Answer 14

76.

Question 15

Anosmia supports that idea that there are a large number of _______.

Answer 15

Receptors.

Question 16

Does smell interact with taste? Which psychologists have discovered this?

Answer 16

Without smell, the ability to identify foods is poor. (Mozel et al., 1960).
Smell affects food flavour greatly. (Murphy & Cain, 1980).