Olfactics and Its Importance for Living Beings Essay

Olfactics is essential for all living beings, as it has an immense influence on their lives. The very word “olfactics” makes the majority of people believe that this is a complex phenomenon. However, it is the thing we all know perfectly well and even use every day. It is the sense of smell. It is familiar to all creatures in the world, as they have and produce certain smells. But what is more significant when we are talking about the sense, they can also detect a variety of smells.

In other words, it is a full-duplex operation, which unites the production and perception of smells. In scientific terms, it deals with the way creatures’ sensory cells perceive information concerning different chemical components. Still, you will never understand what a smell is if you think only about chemicals and sensory cells. There is something more than facts, something that exceeds the scope. Even the connection of ink and feather allows us to forget about the details and gain the opportunity to write. So try to consider the smells in another perspective.

Try to think of the most pleasant ones for a moment. Recall the sweet scent of the rose in the early morning, or the heavenly smell of the ocean, or the delicious bouquet of chocolate. Maybe some of you will think of the crispy smell of their morning newspaper, the milky aroma of their child, the heady odor of their beloved. Others will recollect the fresh smell of the mown grass or unforgettable bouquet of the elegant wine. Thus, it can be seen that that the smell is a real magic. These memories transferred you to other places and reminded of some events and emotions. In this way, they make the world bright and complete. Smells unite what we see with what we feel and think.

Let us consider the role of olfactics in animal life. All animals are surrounded by various smells, which help them to learn about this world. Even the smallest insects, reptiles and the biggest mammals detect smells and understand what is in front of them by dint of them. For instance, insects that seem to be inutile use their tiny palps and antennas to identify food, other creatures, and even danger. With the help of sensory cells reptiles can identify where their potential food is and catch the prey with the help of their tongues after defining its location.

It all happens extremely quickly, which allows them to be satiated and avoid starving. Mammals detect pheromones to search their prey and can find it even if it is too far to be seen. Can you just imagine what could happen to these animals if they had no olfactics? It allows them to be what they are and to survive in the wild world. If the pray had no sense of smell, it would not be able to feel that the predator is near and would have no opportunity to escape. Olfactics allows the animals to survive, it makes them live longer. Of course, the smell helps them to find their food and their home, to mate and to protect their territory.

Consider the dog, for example. It marks the territory near the house several times a day to protect it from other animals. It likes to dig bones and toys in the ground but can easily find them anytime, which seems to be impossible for people. When meeting a rival, other animals give off certain pheromones to reveal their intention to attack or submit. To put it in another way, the smell is what governs animals’ existence. It is almost an invisible thread that links animals to their family and home. It is even thought that olfactics substitutes the human ability to write and speak.

When it comes to people, the smell is an indispensable and an important part of their life. Some may not agree with these words, as people cannot detect pheromones, and their sense of smell is not as strong as that of other mammals. However, the truth is that we are still affected. For instance, smells make people feel different emotions. Consider the smell of asphalt or grass after the rain, what emotions does it trigger? Some individuals may feel sad while others refreshed. There is even a particular study of smells, which is called osmology. According to it, all odors influence people in this or that way, so the scientists try to identify effects specific smells have on people.

Moreover, such approach is used in marketing and various other fields of people’s life. Thus, when we sense coffee being in a café, we start feeling hunger and order an additional dish. We also feel happier when we detect aromas we are familiar with. For example, the smell of the cookies backed by the grandmother or the mother’s favorite perfume makes people smile and recall their childhood. By the way, the industry of perfumes is developing rapidly today. The reason is the fact that people have learned how to change or rather hide their own odor. Of course, they do it because they want to smell good.

That is why women, as well as men, use various scents to be more attractive. But even though this is what advertisements promise, one and the same odor may be considered by ones as pleasant while others will feel sick because of it. Generally, females use flowery odors to seem more feminine, enigmatic and sensational. Men prefer intense aromas, as they create a particular aura around them. Human smells are even considered to be the reason people fall in love. Entering the house a person can sense the odor peculiar for a particular family. Usually, when it is almost not perceived or is pleasant, people incline to become friends while when sensing disagreeable odor, they have more chances not to communicate anymore.

To turn back to the world of animals, it is important to add that the smell plays a similar role in their lives. It is what defines creatures. Apparently, animals focus on other objects’ smells. However, they are also able to detect their own smell. To put it another way, they understand what belongs to them as well as what they really are. Consider animals’ ability to mark their territory or trace their tracks, for instance. It provides them with the opportunity to manage their everyday activities while people are often deprived of this capability. So what it is driven at is the fact that they have lost the ability to use this sense to the fullest throughout centuries.

Nowadays people often question their existence, but why? Except for philosophers, who tended to deepen into everything, ancient people accepted the fact that they exist. They gathered with those who supported their ideas and were sure regarding their role in the society and world. What is meant is that today many individuals cannot identify themselves. They are not able to find the community they will feel comfortable in.

Maybe the reason is that they do not rely on their olfactics anymore? Trying to hide the smells the others claim to be indecent or not pleasant enough, we subdue our senses and fail to perceive reality in the right way. We must stop living in an imaginary world that evanesces every time the odor of our perfume fades. Perhaps, we are just too scared to live in the reality so tend to create something better, something that would be our shelter where we can be a person we want to be but not really is. To hide the smells is the same as to look at the world through the colored spectacles. But while you believe them to be the rose ones, they are totally black. Do you remember how happy you were (being a child) when the rain lifted?

All children reveal their emotions, they go outdoors to welcome the sun and meet others who feel and think the same. But you stay at home or go to work as if nothing has happened even though this smell brought you to that time and reminded that emotions. You use the perfume that others claim to be appropriate and substitute your inner world with the imposed views and fail to find people who are familiar to your soul. How then can you be satisfied with what you have? If this is not about you, you are happy, but if is, listen to these words. You should never forget who you are. Protect their identity just like animals protect their territory. Do not be afraid to reveal your true colors. Do not inflict popular ‘odors’, but focus on your real self.