10 Unique Smells that are Detectable by Your Nose

A very interesting article on the 10 general categories of smells that your nose can easily detect and differentiate... Enjoy! :)

1. Fragrant

The research team lumped fragrant smells in with perfumery, floral, cologne, and rosy smells. Fragrant scents are the ones that seem light and natural, what is typically described by perfume and cologne manufacturers as “grassy” or “herbal.”

2. Woody/Resinous

Your nose easily picks up deep, earthy smells that remind you of the outdoors, the researchers claim. The smells are distinct to nature, which makes them easily recognizable. The team included with woody/resinous scents of musty, moldy, heavy, burnt, and smoky.

3. Non-Citrus Fruity

Opposite the hearty musk of the outdoors are the light, fresh scents associated with strawberries, banana, and certain perfumes that draw upon these natural aromas. Unlike the sharp, bitter freshness of lemon, non-citrus fruit smells may feel more “smooth” or “silky” to the nose.

4. Sharp/Pungent

You know it the moment you smell it. These smells include sour milk, fecal matter (e.g. manure), sweat, and the natural smell of things that have turned putrid or foul. These scents make you reel the instant you detect them. Oniony and garlicky smells also fall into this category.

5. Chemical

Your nose is particularly adroit at detecting synthetic smells. Even the most realistic perfume has its limits. It’s for this reason you’re able to quickly sniff out bleach and gasoline, or paint and felt tip markers. Researchers also included alcohol and disinfectants in the category.

6. Minty/Peppermint

Described as cool, fresh, exhilarating, the minty/peppermint smell has perhaps no rivals in the scent world. It’s become synonymous with cleanliness and is ubiquitous among oral hygiene products for this very reason. The researchers also include spicy in this category.

7. Sweet

Diverging from sweetness detected in fruit, the researchers classified as "sweet" the aromas of things like chocolate, vanilla, almond, and malty scents. They’re warm, and often light. Oftentimes they’ll be sold as “creamy” or “rich.”

8. Popcorn

Popcorn as the figurehead for the group may be jarring, as its neighboring groups are so unmistakable (not to say popcorn isn’t). But popcorn was grouped with other distinct smells, such as peanut butter, burnt, nutty, heavy, and warm. It’s that earthy smell that isn’t quite grass or wood.

9. Sickening

Sickening and decaying smells are a step beyond sharp/pungent smells. It’s sewage, burnt rubber, sulfuric acid, and household gas. Sickening smells are those that cause you to dry heave when the nose detects them in heavy enough concentrations. They aren’t merely “unpleasant;” they’re usually insufferable.

10. Lemon

Who could forget the trusty scent of lemon? Used in cleaning products for decades, the scent of lemon and citrus connotes freshness — like mint — with a hint of sweetness and sharpness that makes it unique from the others. It’s light and acidic, and the nose knows it instantly.

When you’re young, your brain only discerns between pleasant or unpleasant smells. It’s through gaining experience — eating a banana, being told a perfume smells like banana — that you gain a fuller understanding of its true scent.

Like kids when they are young, they don't really care whether if you're yellow-skinned or dark-skinned or whatever-skinned, they will play with you... unless of course, you reacted like a jerk or something and they will stop playing with you or avoid you. So in order words, when you're young, things may look extremely black and white to you. It is through experience that you'll gradually make out the hues in between.

Source: http://www.medicaldaily.com/10-different-smells-are-detectable-your-nose-how-did-popcorn-make-list-257395

This article is written (not by me!) based on the journal:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0073289#s4