neuroscience of smell

The neuroscience of smell involves receptors in the nose detecting airborne molecules and sending signals via the olfactory nerve to the brain’s olfactory bulb. This bulb processes these signals and relays them to areas like the limbic system and cortex, which interpret smells and associate them with memories and emotions. Smell relies on a complex, sensitive system that can identify thousands of odors by recognizing unique molecular patterns, making it a powerful sense linked closely to taste and emotional responses.