Question

What are some unique aspects of our sense of olfaction compared to other special senses? What is anosmia? Would this affect our sense of taste? Explain.

Answer 1

Olfaction is the chemical reception of different kinds of ofour through olfactory sendory system.
Olfaction differs from other sensory system in three ways :

1. The receptor neurons of olfaction present in basal cells pf olfactory epithelium undergoes under continuous mitotic division.
2. The olfaction pathway relays signals directly from olfactory bulb to olfactory cortex. They do not involve thalamic relay unlike other sensory pathways.
3. The olfaction does not involve topography organization and thus does not depend on frequency or spatial to relay information.
Anosmia is defined as loss of ability to sense or detect different kinds of odour.
The full flavour of a food is appreciated together by sense of smell and taste. Sense of smell is perceived through olfactory sensory system while sense of taste is perceived by taste buds present on tongue. When a person looses his sense of smell he cannot smell the food and this feels like he cannot taste the food as well even if his taste sensations are intact.