From fruity to faecal smells

By analysing words used to describe 144 odours, scientists have classifieds the range of scents humans can detect into 10 basic categories. ¿ EPA

IT might seem that the range of scents humans can detect is infinite, but American scientists have managed to sort them all into 10 basic categories, ranging from peppermint to pungent.

The classifications are meant to be the olfactory equivalent of the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami.