“May all be happy, may all be healed, may all be at peace and may no one ever suffer."
The olfactory epithelium is a specialized tissue located in the upper part of the nasal cavity that is responsible for detecting different smells. It is made up of several different types of cells, including:
The olfactory epithelium is located high up in the nasal cavity and is bathed in a thin layer of mucus. When a person inhales, air carrying different odor molecules enters the nasal cavity and comes into contact with the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory receptor cells in the olfactory epithelium detect these odor molecules and send signals to the brain to interpret them as different smells.
The sense of smell is important for detecting and identifying different substances in the environment, including food, potential dangers, and other people. Disorders of the olfactory epithelium, such as anosmia (loss of sense of smell), can have a significant impact on a person's quality of life, affecting their ability to taste food, detect smoke or gas leaks, and even identify other people.