How the Body Processes Smell

Jennifer Pluznick, as associate professor of physiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, begins her talk on smell by asking her audience to think about how many scents that they can truly remember and identify with accuracy. She follows this by telling them that humans can detect up to one trillion different odors, a shocking fact that introduces the immense power of one's body.

Pluznick continues by explaining how different parts of one's body enables them to detect different smells. An example she gives of this is the receptors that sperm have, which have the ability to seek out fertile eggs. These factory receptors are active all over one's body, however Pluznick's research is centered around those in the kidneys. By introducing her audience to some of her findings, Pluznick highlights the need for continued research in the field, and the impact that it will have in medicine.