Differences in the perception of smells

Researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in the United States have discovered nearly 30% variability in olfactory receptors between two different people. The differences affect the way people perceive the intensity and pleasantness of a scent. Humans have 400 specialized odor sensors, called olfactory receptor proteins . Of the 400 receptors in any two randomly selected people, 140 will be different. To further complicate matters, there are variants among these 400 receptors, and each variant responds differently. Therefore, almost every person perceives odors differently.