How can things have smell?

Answer 1

If you remember magic school bus (or have ever watched it) they had a show on smell. Now what happens is that yeah, the thing releases particles, some coming off through the steam say if it is really hot (thats why cold food doesn't smell as much) and some other scent molecules that just float around. When those scents pass by the detectors, the detectors (which are keyed to a single smell) will send off signals to your brain. Further, just like sights and sounds, smell can trigger emotional responses and memories in people.

Answer 2

Even when a body is underwater and dead, it is estimated that 50,000 molecules are released every minute. Search dogs can smell this. We smell things when level of molecules are much greater than this. Taste is almost all smell. The nose has chemical sensors that respond to the different parts of smells (the chemicals present) The brain puts these parts together and analyzes them with experience and says that something smells like---.

Answer 3

they release particles.

when you breathe in your nose, the particles brush by your nose.

your nose interprets them as a smell