Olfactory memory can trigger the recollection of associated events and regulates our sense of smell, shaping our preferences for certain scents over others.
Research led by Dr Judith Reinhard and Professor Charles Claudianos, from the University of Queensland, showed that olfactory memory in honeybees regulates receptor molecules in their antennae, which function like the human nose. They found that long-term odour memories modify perception of scent, conditioning one’s ability to smell and enjoy certain odours.
This helps explain the vast variation in human smell perception and the neurological reasons behind the phenomenon of “acquired taste”.
Read more at The University of Queensland