- sense of smell - its stimuli are various chemicals that are carried by the air.
The upper part of the nose has a small area that contains receptor cells for olfaction.
The function of the olfactory receptors is transduction, to transform chemical reactions into nerve impulses.
Olfactory cells are located in two 1-inch-square patches of tissue in the uppermost part of the nasal passages.
Olfactory cells are covered with mucus, a gluey film into which volatile molecules dissolve and stimulate the underlying olfactory cells.
The olfactory cells trigger nerve impulses that travel to the brain, which interprets the impulses as different smells.