The Brain in Action: Can you smell it too?

The activity of eleven types of receptors in your nose when you smell different but chemically strongly similar compounds. (Fig. 32-4, Principles of Neural Science, 5th Ed., 2013)

Every so often my wife asks me if I notice a particular smell in the house or garden. I can, when asked, often detect an odour, but I seem to have a much less sensitive nose than she does. I do however like a good red wine with an earthy bouquet. Each bottle I open has an unusual combination of such aromas. My wife often cannot detect the differences in smell between these wines. Does that mean that I have a more delicate sense of smell after all? 

For the rest of Peter Moleman’s article, please click here.