olfação

Olfaction refers to the sense of smell, our ability to detect and interpret airborne chemical compounds. These compounds, known as odorants, are detected by specialized receptors located in the olfactory epithelium, a patch of tissue found high up in the nasal cavity. When odorants bind to these receptors, they trigger a cascade of signals that are transmitted to the olfactory bulb in the brain. From the olfactory bulb, these signals are then relayed to other brain regions, including the piriform cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus, which are involved in conscious perception of smell, emotional responses, and memory formation, respectively. The human nose can distinguish between thousands of different scents, and our sense of smell plays a crucial role in various aspects of our lives, including detecting danger, such as spoiled food or smoke, identifying potential mates, and influencing our eating experiences through the perception of flavor. While often less acute than in many other animals, human olfaction is still a vital sensory modality.