Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Aug 1.
Published in final edited form as: Chemosens Percept. 2015 May 10;8(2):78–84. doi: 10.1007/s12078-015-9181-z

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Three routes of odor transport and relation to lung retention.

MLN: mouth-lung-nose, where odorants enter via the oral cavity. This is most common during smoking or breathing with open mouth. Lung retention occurs.

NLN: nose-lung-nose, where odors enter via the nose. This occurs commonly during orthonasal smell while sniffing or breathing with closed mouth. Lung retention occurs.

MN: mouth-nose, where odors originate in the oral cavity and pass directly to the nose. This is typical of retronasal smell during food intake. Lung retention does not occur.

OE: Olfactory epithelium.