Smell, sense that enables an organism to perceive and distinguish the odors of various substances, also known as olfaction. In humans, the organ of smell is situated in the mucous membrane of the upper portion of the nasal cavity near the septum.
Spray yourself with a DEET-based insect repellent and the mosquitoes will leave you alone. But why? – Mosquitoes flee from DEET-based insect repellent because of their intense dislike for the smell of the chemical repellent and not because DEET jams their sense of smell, report researchers at the University of California, Davis.
Skin cancer could be diagnosed by the distinctive chemical odor it gives off, say US researchers. – Chemists described the first identification of a specific “odor profile” for skin cancer, a discovery that could form the basis of a rapid, non-invasive test for diagnosing the most common type of cancer in the United States.
As many as 100 toxic chemicals associated with adverse health effects are released into the air from polyvinyl chloride (PVC ) shower curtains. – Shower curtains made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic contain many harmful chemicals including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates and organotins; these PVC shower curtains are potentially toxic to the health of consumers, revealed by a recent study.
A short exposure to the diesel fumes can affect your brain. The study reveals that an hour of sniffing exhaust induces a stress response in the brain’s activity. – If the smell of diesel exhaust isn’t enough to make you avoid getting a lungful, new research now shows that even a short exposure to the fumes can affect your brain. The study reveals that an hour of sniffing exhaust induces a stress response in the brain’s activity.
One of the most comprehensive investigations done to date on aromatherapy failed to show any improvement in either immune status, wound healing or pain control among people exposed to two often-touted scents. – Aromatherapy failed to show any improvement in either immune status, wound healing or pain control among people exposed to two often-touted scents, revealed by researchers in a recent study.
New Tel Aviv University (TAU) research links depression to loss of the sense of smell, suggesting that the blues may have biological roots. – Can’t smell the roses? Maybe you’re depressed. Smell too much like a rose yourself? Maybe you’ve got the same problem. Scientists from Tel Aviv University recently linked depression to a biological mechanism that affects the olfactory glands. It might explain why some women, without realizing it, wear too much perfume.
