Our Chemical Senses: Olfaction
Our Chemical Senses: Olfaction
Description:
In this lesson, students learn how to investigate the olfactory system and then find out how to plan and carry out their own experiments. In the "CLASS EXPERIMENT," students find that the ability to detect an odor decreases with continued exposure to that odor, a property called olfactory fatigue. They learn basic facts about sensory receptors, nerve connections, and brain centers, and discover what conditions can affect olfactory fatigue. In "TRY YOUR OWN EXPERIMENT," students design experiments to further explore the sense of smell. For example, they can investigate whether mixing two substances makes it harder to identify odors; whether gender affects the ability to identify odors, and whether people vary in their ability to match unlabeled containers of odor materials.
Education Levels:
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Subject:
Body Systems And Senses, Biological And Life Sciences, Chemistry
Resource Type:
Lesson plan
Medium:
Text/HTML
Fee Status:
Free
Beneficiary:
Students
Online provider:
University of Washington
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