In order for you to enjoy the smell of a flower, molecules called <u>Odorants </u>from the flower must land on your olfactory epithelium, which lines the inside of the nose.
When a person breathes in air containing odor molecules, the molecules attach to receptors in the nose and send signals to the brain.
Odorants interact with primary epithelium olfactory receptors. Olfactory receptors, a type of epithelial cell with cilia, are found in the olfactory epithelium. These receptors receive the sense of smell, which is then sent to the brain.
The sensory neuron connected to the receptor is activated when an odorant connects with a receptor that detects it.
Only olfactory stimulus directly communicates with the cerebral cortex; all other sensory information is sent through the thalamus.
Additionally, it has been suggested that the nasal mucus plays a role in the process of emulsifying hydrophobic odorant molecules, delivering them to receptor sites.
