The chemical senses: recent advances and new promises
2007

The Role of Smell in Human Life

publication

Author Information

Author(s): Elsaesser Rebecca, Paysan Jacques

Primary Institution: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Hypothesis

What function do olfactory microvillar cells have and what signaling mechanisms do they use?

Conclusion

The study discusses the significance of olfactory sensory neurons and the potential concurrent existence of ciliated and microvillar sensory cells in mammals.

Supporting Evidence

  • Smell is often seen as less important than vision in humans.
  • Olfactory neurons can regenerate from adult stem cells.
  • Humans can learn to enjoy a wide variety of food based on smell.

Takeaway

This study looks at how our sense of smell works and why it might be important, even if we often rely more on our eyes.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2202-8-S3-S1

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