The Differences Between the Sense of Smell in Men & Women

Women and men have a variety of clearly distinguishable differences in how each is able to identify, as well as discriminate between, a pleasant, foul or even distinctive smell. Women can also at times combine the sense of smell with memories, feelings and other sensory abilities that are not as prominent in men, according to the Social Issues Research Center

Detecting House Smells and Odors

• When a wife or female significant other says that the house or apartment is filthy because it smells to high heaven, she may not be just pulling a man's leg. In fact, because women have a more acute and sensitive sense of smell, such odors as dirty socks, an unwashed body and spoiled food are noticed more easily. If a woman is ovulating, her sense of smell may also be heightened, according to the website Medical Coding Certification.

Smell and Emotion

• With a more heightened sense of smell women also have a much more evolved limbic system in the brain. This sense of smell coupled with the limbic system's connection to areas of the brain which control emotion can cause women to become more emotional at times of hormonal change or when smelling certain aromas, according to the website Medical Education Online. During a hormonal period of change, women may also be more susceptible to depressive thoughts and feelings due to certain smells.

Sexual Attraction and Smell

• A women's ability to use her heightened sense of smell is well served when playing a crucial role in selecting the right person for marriage or a relationship. Women, more than men, have been proven to use a potential mate's smell to determine if that person fits desired needs. In fact, it is the use of smell to detect a potential partner's sex pheromone that signals potential fitness. This is most used by a women "during the fertile time of their menstrual cycle, [when] women have a preference for the smell that facial and body features are balanced and proportioned," according to the website Six Senses Magazine.

Heightened Smell During Menstrual Cycle

• Women have more varied and heightened abilities to smell than men in large part due to the presence of certain hormones. In addition, women who still have the ability to be reproductive and are ovulating have an even increased ability to detect certain smells. This ability also seems to coincide with a pregnant woman's increased ability to taste as well as smell while she is pregnant, according to the website Cardiff University.