olfaction
/ɒlˈfakʃ(ə)n
/noun [mass noun] technical
The action or capacity of smelling; the sense of smell.As an immunologist and neurobiologist, Mombaerts has decisively contributed to the basic mechanistic understanding of olfaction (sense of smell)....
- Humans detect chemical substances in the environment through 2 sensory channels: olfaction and the chemical sense.
- The nurse shark relies on its sense of olfaction, touch and electrical reception.
Derivatives
olfactive
- The polymeric nanoparticles including olfactive components have a glass temperature of >50° C.
- Fragrance composition exhibiting varying olfactive characteristics when applied on different persons
- Structureolfactive threshold relationships for 40 pyrazine derivatives have been studied by multivariate statistical analysis.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from Latin olfactus 'a smell' (from olere 'to smell' + fact- 'made', from the verb facere) + -ion.