Page 57 - The Miracles of Smell and Taste

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hemical substances are often imagined to be perceived
only through the senses of smell and taste. Yet this is not
the case, because there are also at least two known sys-
tems: pain receptor nerves and the vomeronasal organ.
Throughout the nasal cavity, including the olfactory region, are dis-
persed the ends of pain-receptor nerves that react to stimuli that lead to
feelings of pressure, pain, heat and cold. For example, these nerves trans-
mit to the brain signals that cause the sharp, burning sensation of ammo-
nia. Were it not for the pain receptors in your nose, you could not detect
various gasses that are harmful to your health. Thanks to the design in
question, however, unfortunate consequences that might result in injury,
or even death, are avoided.
In comparison with scent receptors, these nerves are less sensitive
and are thought to play an important complementary role in scent percep-
46
tion. Menthol is known to produce a cooling sensation in normal con-
centrations, but a hot one at high concentrations. The special design at the
ends of the pain-receptor cells allows us to perceive this difference.
Some scent particles produce no effect in the olfactory region. These
special chemical signals are known as pheromones. A special organ in the
nose has been created to detect pheromones. Known as the vomeronasal or-
gan (VNO), this structure is of a tube- shaped, about 1 millimeter (0.04
inch) in length, and located in the inner part of the nose, just above the
cartilage dividing the two nostrils. (Figure 17) It is a different sensory or-
gan whose chief function is to receive the messages carried by pheromo-
nes, convert them into a form the brain can understand, and then forward
them by means of special nerves directly to the relevant brain regions.
(Figure 18) This organ’s functions are not yet fully understood, and are
the subject of debate among scientists. 47

Harun Yahya
(Adnan Oktar)