Now researchers have revealed a new system to bring some order to this odoriferous business.One reason why people describe smells differently is a weakness of the nose.
So, by artificially selecting big, long-lasting flowers, breeders have all but erased another desirable characteristic.Smell is tougher to implant than colour because it not only matters whether a plant can make odoriferous chemicals, it also matters what it does with them.
The interaction between a molecule and a receptor triggers a pulse of electrical activity that is transmitted to the brain.Most odoriferous molecules activate more than one type of receptor.
There are about 1,000 different receptor proteins, each of which responds to a handful of odoriferous molecules.
Quest's researchers wondered if they could use this knowledge to work out a way of persuading the messy eaters to wipe their biochemical plates clean, thus stopping production of odoriferous fatty acids.
The openings of paired odoriferous glands are found on the cephalothorax of daddy longlegs; when irritated, these animals secrete a fluid containing cyanic acid that probably serves to repel predators.
Sebaceous glands secrete oil, ceruminous glands secrete wax, mammary glands secrete milk, poison glands secrete various toxins, and scent glands secrete a variety of odoriferous substances.
Another block west, on Muindi Mbingu Street, is City Market (15), an odoriferous muddle of butchers' slabs, mountains of fruit and overpriced crafts and souvenirs.
