How Good Can Flies Smell?

Scientists have discovered that flies have a phenomenal ability to smell. The odor receptors on their antennae, called sensilla, detect different smells and transmit the information to the brain. This ability is very similar to human’s, but the way in which flies perceive smells is very different.

Flies can detect odours by smelling volatile chemicals such as ammonia. They have an impressively good sense of smell, enabling them to detect smells up to 7 kilometres away. The distance at which they can detect smells depends on the size of the animal, the direction of the wind, and the topography.

Scientists believe that flies’ keen sense of smell can help them navigate through cluttered environments and find tasty food. The Dickinson lab group studied fruit flies, and they found that they use neurons to detect odors and use their eyes to locate objects that smell appealing. When an odor isn’t attractive, flies tend to ignore them.

Scientists also discovered that fruit flies’ olfactory neurons communicate through a previously unknown pathway. This new pathway could help scientists discover the exact mechanisms underlying fruit fly smell.

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