Who Knows About the Nose?

Olfaction, or smelling, is the process by which chemicals signals are translated into neural impulses via the nose. Chemicals in the air enter the nose through the nostril. They then dissolve in mucus located within a structure called the olfactory epithelium. The chemicals then trigger specific cilia located within the olfactory epithelium, though know one knows why certain cilia are affected by specific chemicals. The cilia generate electrical responses which are then passed to the olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb transmits signals to the brain via the olfactory tract (30).