Abstract
There is an enormous variation among the human population as regards olfactory acuity. Even persons with no obvious abnormality may range in sensitivity as much as 1,000-fold between the least and the most sensitive observers (Amoore, 1968b). More precisely, the standard deviation (SD) from the mean olfactory sensitivity in a sample of 443 subjects toward isobutyl isobutyrate was ± 1.71 binary dilution steps in a geometric concentration scale. Hence, taking the normal mean detection threshold as unity, approximately 95% of the population should have personal thresholds between 1/10 th. and 10 times the mean threshold concentration for a given odorant.
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Amoore, J.E. (1971). Olfactory Genetics and Anosmia. In: Beidler, L.M. (eds) Olfaction. Handbook of Sensory Physiology, vol 4 / 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65126-7_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65126-7_11
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