Human Senses 1. Smell and Taste (16 of 21)

Human Senses

The reek of rotting flesh is caused by sulphur containing chemicals released as bacteria breakdown, protein and fat in the meat.
By the time it smells off, rotting meat contains such high levels of bacteria that eating it could be fatal.
So we find the smell disgusting, to stop us putting rotting flesh anywhere near our mouths.
Our sense of smell is warning us of danger.
Ooh.
Just take a big deep, The smell doesn't bother hyenas because rotting flesh isn't dangerous for them.
They've evolved to be scavengers so they have an immune system that can deal with deadly microbes in rotting meat, that would kill a human.

l mean there's even been cases of wild hyena eating Anthrax, so l mean, Hyenas can actually cope with meat covered in anthrax spores?
They've got cast iron stomachs.
So we find smells like rotting flesh unpleasant to warn us off.
And our noses are actually more sensitive to these bad smells than they are to most pleasant ones.
urgh uh uh, hideous.
All smells nice or nasty are made of tiny molecules floating in the air.
The sulphur compounds, which are the main ingredient of most bad smells, are lighter faster moving molecules.
So they have no trouble reaching our smell sensors, which are tucked away in a layer of mucus, right at the back of the nasal cavity.