Our two nostrils actually work independently in some ways, with their own separate sense of smell that is not immediately noticeable due to our clever brains.
A recent study from US researchers suggests that this discovery holds significant potential in advancing our understanding of brain functionality and sensory processing, building on earlier animal and human studies indicating the ability of the brain to process each nostril’s input individually and as a complete whole.
According to the researchers, “relatively little is known about how information from the two nostrils is integrated and differentiated in the human olfactory system,” as stated in their published paper on Current Biology.
To delve deeper into this concept, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, the Barrow Neurological Institute, and Ohio State University conducted a study involving 10 epilepsy patients with brain electrodes already implanted. They observed that smelling through two nostrils created two distinct bursts of activity, with each nostril responding differently to odors – a phenomenon known as “smelling in stereo”.
Furthermore, the team found that the piriform cortex brain region processes and interprets smell information independently from each nostril, impacting our overall perception of smells.
This study, published in Current Biology, opens the door to further investigation on how humans process odor information from each nostril and the implications this has on our sense of smell and brain functionality.
