A Sense of Smell

The sense of smell is the ability to identify chemical substances in the environment. The sense of smell helps them to find food, find partners and to communicate. Fragrance researchers believe that the principles of the sense of smell have been preserved relatively unchanged through millions of years of evolution. Fragrances and aromas are among the most intense pleasures of life. But smells can also cause us to turn away in disgust or suddenly recall memories of childhood. The sense of smell is also amazing in its ability to discriminate. Already in 1928, the British chemist Malcolm Dyson suggested that the sense of smell could be based on the nose acting as a sensor for molecular vibrations and not on changes in the shape and structure of the recipient molecules.