Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
Life

Women have a much stronger sense of smell than men

Darpan News Desk IANS, 06 Nov, 2014 07:50 AM
    Researchers have found biological evidence in the brains of men and women that may explain the olfactory difference between genders.
     
    The team discovered that women have on an average 43 percent more cells than men in a brain structure known as the olfactory bulb, which is the first brain region to receive olfactory information captured by the nostrils.
     
    Sex differences in olfactory detection may play a role in differentiated social behaviour and may be connected to one's perception of smell, which is naturally linked to associated experiences and emotions.
     
    "Thus, women's olfactory superiority has been suggested to be cognitive or emotional rather than perceptual," noted researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
     
    The team examined post-mortem brains from seven men and 11 women, who were all over age 55 at the time of death.
     
    Led by professor Roberto Lent from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the Federal University, the team calculated the number of cells in the olfactory bulbs of these individuals with a fast and reliable technique that measures the absolute number of cells in a given brain structure.
     
    Some believe this olfactory ability is essential for reproductive behaviour such as pair bonding and kin recognition.
     
    If this holds true, then superior olfactory ability is an essential trait that has been inherited and been maintained throughout evolution, researchers concluded.
     
    The group also included researchers from the University of Sao Paulo, University of California, San Francisco, and the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo.

    MORE Life ARTICLES

    In college and stressed?

    In college and stressed?
    In college and cannot manage stress owing to studies or frequent relationship troubles? Take heart....

    In college and stressed?

    Fear of losing money affects investment

    Fear of losing money affects investment
    The more averse, or fearful, of losing money an investor is, the lower his or her willingness seems to be for taking risks in the stock market, says a study....

    Fear of losing money affects investment

    Teenagers active in evenings more prone to insomnia

    Teenagers active in evenings more prone to insomnia
    Have you witnessed your teenage son getting more active in the evenings compared to rest of the day? He may be prone to develop insomnia...

    Teenagers active in evenings more prone to insomnia

    What makes you a pessimist?

    What makes you a pessimist?
     Cannot see thing turning out to be all right? A hyperactive habenula, half the size of a pea in the brain that tracks predictions about negative....

    What makes you a pessimist?

    Device that scans your drink for safety

    Device that scans your drink for safety
    Next time you go to a party in a bar, do not hesitate if someone offers you a drink. Just dip this little stick clandestinely in the glass and get to know if the drink is spiked or not...

    Device that scans your drink for safety

    Nostalgia prompts people to spend more

    Nostalgia prompts people to spend more
    The next time you visit a mall, stop thinking about the past because a feeling of nostalgia may prompt you to spend more, says a study...

    Nostalgia prompts people to spend more