| I Can't Smell A Skunk! | |
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Wouldn't it be interesting if you could not smell the scent of a skunk? I know I wouldn't mind. A skunk's smell is just about the worst smell I can imagine. Well some people are born with something called an anosia. Because of the anosia, They can't smell the skunk!
An anosia is when a person is unable to smell a certain odor. The skunk smell happens to be one of the most common anosias. An anosia is caused by a missing receptor or receptors needed to smell that particular odor.
Now if you have discovered that you have a skunk anosia, don't make the mistake of hunting down all the skunks you can find. It might be a cool trick to show off to your friends but watch out! Scientists have discovered that when a person with an anosia tries to smell their missing smell it will actually cause the missing receptors to grow until there is enough receptors to smell that scent.
Researchers were excited when they found out about this ability our body has to build brand new receptors when they are exposed to the scent. They have compared it to the body's ability to make immune cells when our bodies our exposed to different types of germs.
graphics from Microsoft Clip Gallery
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