Smell

Smell. Element that is detected through the olfactory system. Pleasant smell that impresses our olfactory sense in a positive way.

Table of Contents

Summary

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1 Definition
- 1 Dictionary of the Spanish language
- 2 Dictionary of synonyms and antonyms
- 3 Oxford Dictionary
2 Etymology
3 Variability
4 Difference with smell
5 Techniques to evaluate aromas
- 1 Influential Factors
6 Importance
7 Sources

Definition

The term aroma is one that is used to refer to odors or essences that can be detected by both men and animals through the olfactory sense. Pleasant smells that can come from different elements or products, both natural and artificial. Aromatic flower, golden and small, the aroma is very perfumed and arranged in clusters.

Spanish dictionary

Smell

1- m. Perfume , very pleasant smell: I love the aroma of the field.

2-f. Aroma flower , yellow, hairy and with a very fragrant smell: the aroma is about 2 cm in diameter . Inflections for ‘aroma’ (n): mpl: aromas

Dictionary of synonyms and antonyms

Synonyms: Aroma, perfume, fragrance, balsam , essence , smell , effluvium, emanation, vapor
Antonyms: stink , pestilence, stink

Oxford Dictionary

Male name
Very pleasant smell: floral aromas; the aroma of the forest reminded him of his childhood; to avoid the loss of aroma of a cologne it is recommended to consume it before two years.

Synonym: perfume. (s. xvii) from the Latin aroma, aromatis and this from the Greek aroma, aromatics. Its meaning gradually expanded from the origin of ‘gum or other highly fragrant plant object ‘ (s. Xvii), to ‘flor del aromo’ (s. Xviii) and ‘perfume’ (s. Xix).

Etymology

The word aroma is etymologically derived from the Greek ἄρωμα, from where it passed into Latin as “arōma”, and from there to our language, to refer to a pleasant smell that impresses our olfactory sense in a positive way .

Variability

The aroma can vary in intensity , durability, fragrance and components according to the type of element that is referenced. Thus, the aroma of a flower can be much softer and more fragile than that of a meal or a preparation. The aromas combine in diverse and infinite ways to create unique and incomparable perfumes. This process is carried out almost entirely in a chemical way since the perfume industries or laboratories have essences that are imitation of the true aromas.

Difference with smell

The aroma is always a positive or pleasant type odor, unlike what is meant by odor, which can often be negative or unpleasant.

Techniques for evaluating aromas

There are many techniques described and a great variety of equipment developed.

Valentin’s technique ( 1850 ), consisting of a sealed tube, enclosed in a container. The tube is broken and diluted in the air of the container which is smelled. The test is performed by varying the size of the container until the odor cannot be recognized.
Direct product olfaction technique.
Zwaardemaker’s method ( 1921 ) that introduces the use of an olfactometer, consisting of two concentric tubes, the inner one graduated in olfactie and provided with perforations. The sample is placed between both tubes and brought close to the nose, the inner tube sliding on the outside.
Elsberg’s method ( 1935 ), consisting of injecting air into a covered container that contains the substance; it is thus dragged to another outlet through which it is inhaled.
Air occlusion or flow method, which consists of actuating an air pear that is connected to a container containing the substance to be smelled, causing the vapors to displace it through a tube that approaches the nose.
Inhalation bottle method, consisting of a covered tulip-shaped glass, which is held between both hands to produce the slow evaporation of the odorous liquid, after a few minutes of uncovering and smelling.
The von Skramlik technique consists of covering the nose with the fingers and breathing through the open mouth until the rhythm of the breathing is regularized, then the olfactory band or the container that contains the odorous substance is brought to the mouth and deeply inhaled, the container is removed, the mouth is closed and the air is blown out through the nose. So you can taste the aroma on the tongue as well as using the sense of smell. The effect is amazing and safe.
Wenzel’s technique ( 1950 ), consists of an odorless chamber in which the judge inhales the substance under normal conditions, being it in a plastic bag. This same system has been modified by other researchers later.

Influential Factors

When choosing the technique, a series of factors that influence the results must be taken into consideration, among others we can mention:

Ignorance of the dimension of the stimulus .
Ignorance of the detection region in the organ itself.
Impossibility of controlling the pain produced by simultaneous trigeminal stimulation and accompanying the perception of odors, for example, tearing when smelling onion or sneezing when smelling pepper .
Control of humidity and temperature of the olfactory region while collecting. A certain humidity is necessary to produce the dissolution of the odorous substance in the mucosa .
Control of pressure and speed of flow of the air that is used in determining odors.
The air used must be odorless .
Impossibility of quantifying the odorous substance that reaches the mucosa.
Inaccuracy in expressing the intensity of the stimulus.
The utensils used in odor analysis have their own odor.
A common language that helps classification is missing .
Adaptation or fatigue appear faster and last longer than in other sensory tests.

Importance

The aroma therapy is a technique that uses aromas to improve health physical and mental. The aromas are achieved through essential oils that are made with the concentration of vegetable oils with peculiar aromas, each with a different organic action. The sense of smell that allows us to perceive aromas is intrinsically related to the sense of taste , although it is twenty thousand times more powerful. A pleasant aroma stimulates saliva and invites us to eat a food that smells good.