How do animals navigate a world full of diverse scents? Whether it’s rats scurrying along busy streets in search of food, insects flying through flowery meadows in search of a mate, or dogs sniffing the air in anticipation of a treat, they all rely on odors to guide the way. 

A recently launched interactive site, designed primarily for middle schoolers, shows how animals sense odors and how their brains initiate tracking behaviors to find the source of the smell. The site includes interactive experiences that show not only how bees or dogs respond to odors but also how signals travel from odor-detection organs—antennae or noses, for instance—to the brain.

As part of this effort, Odor2Action researchers worked with the Genetic Science Learning Center at the University of Utah, providing informational interviews, relevant research articles, and reviews of content and design. 

“Through this new educational page, students learn that animals move antennae or other body parts to actively sense odors, that the brain identifies odors when it receives signals from sensory receptors, and that odors initiate behaviors such as tracking,” says Kathryn Cochran, Project Manager for the Odor2Action network. 

“Just as students might be curious about how eyes and ears work, we want them to explore and ask questions about how a nose or antennae helps animals understand the world around them.”