When you inhale a scent, do you exhale the scent, as well?

Question

My boyfriend brought up a quirky little question: When a person inhales a scent (good or bad), and they exhale, either through the nose or mouth, does that scent come back out and is then detectible, is it absorbed into the lining of the nose, or was only the air inhaled in the first place and the scent not really "inhaled?"

Answer 1

When smelling molecules from whatever you are smelling have to make it to your nose. Because of this the thing you smell must be volatile(evaporate). In the nose there are neurons that play off of the esters. My opinion would be that the esters being inhaled, if exhaled quick enough and if you wanted to get that close, may be able to be picked up but would be slight especially if the original is weak.

Answer 2

Scent is not inhaled. Any sustance that is gaseous and is in molecular form that has scent or odour , if inhaled ,the molecules impinge on scent or odour receptors in nose. Frontal cortex recognise that scent . Durig breathing out a small quantity of the substance may come out , but that amount while coming out does not excite nasal mucosa. So exhaled scent can not b recognised

Answer 3

When you inhale something, you are actually taking in molecules of that substance into your nose. Some of these molecules will again come out when you exhale... whether it's a detectable amount is uncertain considering you don't need that much to begin with. Probably, the moisture you exhale with will make it so that these molecules are not as detectable.

Answer 4

ONLY THE SCENT OF A WOMAN

Answer 5

yes......!!!!

because the incoming scent, just activates or instigates your nose's receptors........ which give you the sensation!!!

Answer 6

yes, im pretty sure