2.1 What is fragrance?

A fragrance is made from a pleasant smelling aroma compound. To be a fragrance the compound
needs to be made of volatile chemicals that create an odor. The odor or fragrance has to have a
smell that can be sensed by the olfactory receptors in the nose.[ CITATION Wha11 \l 1033 ]

2.2 The Human Nose

Out of five senses in human body, the smell is the most important one. The nose is the
responsible organ for the sense of smell. The cavity of the nose is lined with mucous membranes
that have smell receptors connected to the olfactory nerve. The smells themselves consist of
vapors of various substances. The smell receptors interact with the molecules of these vapors and
transmit the sensations to the brain. The nose also has a structure called the vomeronasal organ
whose function has not been determined, but which is suspected of being sensitive to
pheromones that influence the reproductive cycle. The smell receptors are sensitive to seven
types of sensations that can be characterized as camphor, musk, flower, mint, ether, acrid, or
putrid. The sense of smell is sometimes temporarily lost when a person has a cold. Dogs have a
sense of smell that is many times more sensitive than man's.[ CITATION Hum11 \l 1033 ]
2.3 Emotions triggered from smell

A smell influences people’s mood and even affect the persons work performance. Smell can
bring to mind strong emotional response. Smell is specialized chemical sense. The olfactory cells
are placed in our human body where our central nervous system is in direct contact with external
environment. Some survey on emotion attached to odors shows that our like and dislikes are
associated with emotions. This association between fragrance and emotions is not invention of
perfume maker but our olfactory receptors are directly connected to the limbic system which
creates emotions. Smell sensations are relayed to the cortex, where cognitive recognition occurs.
Before we correctly name a particular scent, the scent triggers our more deep seated emotional
response.

The activity of smell varies from human to human. This can be sometimes pleasant or sometime
nasty because of the difference of receptors and the central connections. Scents can trigger strong
emotional responses which depend on the perception of human who perceive it pleasant or
unpleasant according to individual experience.

2.3.1 Mood effects

References

Bibliography
Human Sense Organs - The Five Senses. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2011, from
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/workbook/chapter2.htm

What Is Fragrance? | eHow.com. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2011, from

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5506179_fragrance.html