We smell things with our nose. The nose can detect very small amounts of chemicals in the air. These chemicals stimulate nerves inside the nose. These nerves send signals to the brain along the olfactory nerve.

Our sense of smell helps protect us becuase many harmful chemicals smell bad. However, that is not always true. As we grow up, we learn to recognize dangerous smells and avoid them.

Our sense of smell also plays a role in the way things taste. When we cannot smell food, it tastes very different.