Respiratory System of The Horse - Ability To Smell

Ability To Smell

The horse's olfactory receptors are located in the mucosa of the upper nasal cavity. Due to the length of the nasal cavity, there is a large area of these receptors, and the horse has a better ability to smell than a human. Additionally, the horse also has a vomeronasal organ, or Jacobson's Organ, which is in the hard palate, and is able to pick up pheromones and other scents when a horse exhibits the flehmen response. The flehmen response forces air through slits in the nasal cavity and into the vomeronasal organ. Unlike many other animals, the horse's Jacobson's Organ doesn't open into the oral cavity.

Read more about this topic:  Respiratory System Of The Horse

Famous quotes containing the words ability to, ability and/or smell:

    The chief element in the art of statesmanship under modern conditions is the ability to elucidate the confused and clamorous interests which converge upon the seat of government. It is an ability to penetrate from the naïve self-interest of each group to its permanent and real interest.... Statesmanship ... consists in giving the people not what they want but what they will learn to want.
    Walter Lippmann (1889–1974)

    We can’t nourish our children if we don’t nourish ourselves.... Parents who manage to stay married, sane, and connected to each other share one basic characteristic: The ability to protect even small amounts of time together no matter what else is going on in their lives.
    Ron Taffel (20th century)

    One can smell it turning to gas; if one were Baudelaire
    one could probably hear it turning to marimba music.
    Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979)