Question

It is thought that the human brain can distinguish                            [ Select ]                       ["1000", "1,000,000", "6310", "10,000"]         different odors, and that we accomplish this by detecting a pattern of                            [ Select ]                       ["fast", "weak", "strong and weak", "slow"]         binding of odorants to                            [ Select ]                       ["approximately the same", "an even larger", "a smaller"]         number of different olfactory receptors.

Answer 1

It is thought that human brain can detect 1,000,000 different odors , and that we can accomplish this by detecting a pattern of fast binding of odorants to a smaller number of different olfactory receptors.

Our ability to smell comes from specialised sensory cells called olfactory sensory neurons. These are present in the tissues of our nose and carry the sensation directly to the brain.

Each olfactory neuron has one odor receptor. Molecules released by substances around us stimulate these receptors which send the message to the brain.

There are more smells in the environment than there are receptors, and any given molecule can stimulate a combination of receptors, creating a unique representation in the brain. These representations are registered by the brain as smell.

It is believed that human nose has roughly about 400 types of sense receptors.