It is well established that women have a more developed sense of smell than men, but until now it was not known why: is it an innate gift, with deep biological roots, or a by-product of social and cognitive differences between the sexes, more associated with experiences and emotions?
Well, according to a new study, it seems that it is a question of neurons . Researchers have used a new method developed at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, called an isotropic fractionator, to measure the exact number of nerve cells present in the olfactory bulb , the brain region associated with the ability to smell.
This is how they have analyzed the brains of 18 corpses – seven men and eleven women – who had died at the age of 55 without neurological damage and have been able to verify that they had on average 50% more neurons in the olfactory bulb.
As it happens that the number of brain cells hardly varies throughout a person's life , everything indicates that women are born with greater olfactory sensitivity .
Some speculate that this ability has been developed through evolution for reproductive reasons, to strengthen the bonds of a couple or to recognize genetically related congeners.
