Olfaction is a chemoreception that occurs when odorants bind to olfactory receptors located in the nasal cavity. Recent research on human olfaction shows that it not only enables odor identification but also automatically evokes emotional response and subtly mediates interpersonal communication. By integrating with vision, the sense of smell facilitates object perception and influences socioemotional processing. Moreover, the combination of olfaction, taste and other senses forms flavor perception, which gives rise to the enjoyable experiences of eating and drinking.

olfaction  /  chemosensory communication  /  emotion  /  multisensory integration  /  flavor