Which term refers to the sense of smell?

Which term refers to the sense of smell?

• A. Asthma
• B. Olfaction
• C. Hypercapnia
• D. Influenza

Answer: (B)

The sense of smell is called olfaction. This term describes detecting odors through receptors in the nasal cavity and the neural signals that travel to the brain via the olfactory nerve. It helps distinguish smell from other health terms: asthma refers to narrowed airways in the lungs, hypercapnia means elevated carbon dioxide in the blood, and influenza is a viral flu illness. In practice, you might hear that a patient has altered olfaction or, if smell is lost, anosmia.

The sense of smell is called olfaction. This term describes detecting odors through receptors in the nasal cavity and the neural signals that travel to the brain via the olfactory nerve. It helps distinguish smell from other health terms: asthma refers to narrowed airways in the lungs, hypercapnia means elevated carbon dioxide in the blood, and influenza is a viral flu illness. In practice, you might hear that a patient has altered olfaction or, if smell is lost, anosmia.