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The function of the nose as a respiratory organ may not need to be debated. Everyone knows that. On the other hand, the nose, along with the eyes and mouth, is an important feature of the overall appearance of the face which is also our identity - whether we realize it or not. By only looking at the shape and size of the nose, we can determine one's ethnicity. But nose function isn't just that.
Here are 12 surprising facts about the human sense of smell that you didn't know before.
Did you know that ...
1. There are at least 14 different types of noses
A recent survey in the Craniofacial Journal of Surgery identified 14 forms of the human nose, ranging from perpendicular to sharp pointed and bent down. But many experts argue that the variation may be more than that when seen from the various factors forming the nasal structure.
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2. The nose forms your voice
The sound we hear when someone speaks or sings is largely determined by the vibration of the throat and nose structure to produce sound. Sound comes from the air we release when breathing. When we exhale, the air is stored in the lungs will flow out through the esophagus. This air flow passes between the two folds of vocal cords that are tightly integrated, so that they vibrate and produce sound. The stronger the air flow, the stronger the sound produced.
The bindeng sound that we hear when the next friend is having a cold is caused by the loss of vibration in the vocal cords because the airway in the nose is blocked by mucus.
3. The nose is an air purifier organ
Besides oxygen, the air around it also contains foreign particles such as dust, pollution, allergens, to bacteria and viruses. The nose functions as a traffic regulator where small hairs inside will filter out all kinds of foreign objects and trap them with mucus for later we swallow. At the same time, the nose moistens the dry air we breathe for the sake of the lungs and throat. These two organs do not tolerate dry air properly. The air that is successfully moisturized with the nose now has temperature similar to the core temperature of the body, which is much better tolerated by the body's system.
4. Humans can detect at least one trillion different scents
Humans have around 12 million olfactory receptor cells to recognize a variety of odors, although they are still far less than animals, such as sniffer dogs with 4 billion olfactory receptors and 7 times more bears than sniffer dogs.
When a scent enters the nose, these particles will enter the top of the nasal cavity into the olfactory gap where the olfactory nerve is lodged. Here, the smell detected by the olfactory receptor activates the nerves to send signals to the brain. The combination of various nerves that are activated registers every unique odor that we can detect.
5. The nose can get bored
The sense of smell is easily bored. When you enter a bakery or coffee shop you are well aware of its strong aroma, but when you come out, you will no longer be able to smell the different aromas around you.
Your scent cells are renewed every 28 days, so every four weeks you get a "new" nose with a sharper sense of smell. But this function will decrease with age.
6. Smell can make you nostalgic
Smell is the most sensitive sense. Humans can remember smells with an accuracy of 65% after one year, while visual memories are only about 50% after three months. Research has shown that odor is the sense most associated with our emotional memories. Seventy-five percent of the emotions displayed by humans are triggered by odors associated with happiness, well-being, emotions, and memory.
The reason is that the scent cell signals that carry information about odors go directly to areas of the brain that store and process emotions and memory - the hippocampus and amygdala. This is why once you smell the fragrance of old-school body powder, you may immediately remember your mother or grandmother who used to use it a lot. And, the same aroma can evoke memory and emotions that are different from one person to another.
READ ALSO: 9 Important Facts About Nose Feathers
7. Humans can smell emotions
You can smell fear and disgust through sweat, and then you can experience the same emotions. That's because everyone has a unique personal smell thanks to the chemical chain that is embedded in each other's sweat. You can also smell happiness and sexual desire, as long as the individual you "track" smells is your romantic partner.
8. The smell determines the taste of food
Smell plays a key role in taste. It has four main flavors: bitter, sour, sweet and salty. All human acuity in recognizing taste is actually related to the nose, because our sense of smell contributes 75-95% of the taste sense experience. Without being able to smell the difference between the smell of onions and potatoes, it will be difficult to distinguish between the two.
9. Your sense of smell dies when you sleep
Sensory stimulation - sound, temperature, touch, even pain - becomes less effective in people who are asleep at night. So you don't smell the coffee then wake up; but you will wake up first, and then smell coffee. Whatever smell you experience in dreams is created by the brain, not from outside. But, if we wake up very briefly and sniff the aroma of coffee, the aroma will wake you up further if we are attracted to that aroma.
10. The nose is your protector
The sense of smell is not just for pleasure; but also important for safety. We need a sense of smell to detect smoke, stale food, and other toxic gases. The nose is sensitive, but it still cannot smell natural gas, which is often used for cooking gas stoves, making it difficult to detect the potential for dangerous gas leaks. Therefore, the gas company added mercaptan, a compound to give its characteristic natural gas a pungent odor. Other odorless harmful gases are carbon monoxide (CO). People who have lost their sense of smell must install the gas alarm and must be careful about what they eat.
People who can't sniff smell have a condition called anosmia. Meanwhile, people who have very sensitive smell are called cacosmia; received all the smells he smelled as a horrible and sickening smell, even though fragrant roses.
11. Your style of sneezing may be a parent's inheritance
Besides smiling and laughing, your sneezing style can be a unique characteristic inherited from one of your parents. The process of sneezing starts from irritant particles that enter the nose (such as pepper powder or pollen) and are detected by nerves around the nose and face, as sensory and motor drivers. Then, the irritant activates a series of reflexes to throw it out: deep breathing and accumulation of air in the lungs, then the sudden opening of the diaphragm which forces air out through the mouth and nose to carry the irritant. This reflex can be up to an average of 100 miles per hour.
READ ALSO: Often Sick? Maybe your office building is the cause
12. A woman's sense of smell is stronger; but men can sniff out the smell of fertile women
A woman's sense of smell is much stronger than a man's. Its strength will increase even greater in the first half of the menstrual cycle and will reach its most sensitive peak when a woman is in her most fertile period.
Meanwhile, men may be able to kiss when a woman reaches the most fertile period, regardless of the perfume and cosmetics they wear. Researchers believe there is a relationship between the peak fertility of the female cycle and the release of pheromones in higher concentrations. Pheromones are hormones released from men and women that are believed to be odorless and undetectable with a "naked" human nose. Pheromones are believed to promote feelings and sexual urges because they are related to receptors in the brain that regulate primitive and emotional behavior, as well as the release of hormonal control through the endocrine system.
