Sense of Smell

Smell is another of your five senses. Your nose helps you smell the world around you. You can smell flowers, cookies, and even rain. Smell helps you enjoy food and warns you of danger.

How Smell Works

Inside your nose are tiny cells called smell receptors. When something has a smell, little pieces float through the air. These pieces go into your nose and touch the receptors. The receptors send a message to your brain. Your brain then tells you what the smell is.

Why Smell Matters

Smell can warn you if food has gone bad. It can also tell you if there is smoke from a fire. Pleasant smells can make you happy. Smell is strongly linked to memory. A smell from long ago can bring back happy memories in a flash.

Fun Facts

• Humans can smell about one trillion different scents.
• Dogs have a sense of smell that is much stronger than ours.
• You cannot smell things as well when you are sleeping.

Did You Know?

The smell part of your brain is right next to the memory part, which is why smells can bring back strong memories.