Why Do My Socks Smell Really Weird
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Science Explains Why Some People Are Naturally Smellier Than Others
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Why are some people smellier than others? originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.
Answer by Adriana Heguy, molecular biologist and genomics researcher, on Quora:
Body odor and halitosis are caused by bacteria. But they are different in nature so I will address them separately.
Body odor: our armpits and groin get smelly when we sweat, not because sweat smells in itself, but because bacteria break down odorless compounds in our sweat into thioalcohols, which are pungent chemicals, similar to those in onions (in fact, human sweat can smell a bit like onions). Thioalcohols are volatile compounds so they are perfect for producing strong smells. The main commensal bacteria in the armpit is Staphylococcus hominis (Meet The Bacteria That Make A Stink In Your Pits). Armpits and groin are typically moist, warm, and dark, and bacteria love those environments. To make matters worse, hair traps smells. But why do different people smell differently when they sweat? Before the obvious use of deodorants and antiperspirants, the composition of the skin microbiome, that is, all the microorganisms that live on our skin normally, varies between different people. We are only beginning to understand what these differences in skin flora are due to, but it's in all likelihood affected a mix of intrinsic factors such as the person's immune system, and also environmental factors. But it's easy to imagine how someone with a higher proportion of bacteria that produce volatile pungent compounds will be smellier than others.
In addition, our skin has scent glands similar to those of other animals, and while they usually do not produce very smelly compounds, and often we cannot really recognize a person by his or her individual scent (though my dogs can, and yours too) we all have our distinctive odor, and that contributes to the general body smell.
The smell of one's breath also depends on the microbiome, but in this it's the oral microbiome. The composition is different in different people, and it's once again due to a mix of intrinsic factors and environmental factors, notably dietary.Some people have a higher proportion of bacteria that digest our food (such as sugar and protein) and produce hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan, which are the two compounds that correlate the strongest with what we perceive as foul breath. These species are mostly responsible for bad breath: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola and Prevotella intermedia, and these live in gaps between the gum and tooth and in the mosh pit crevices of the tongue. But what is emerging from current studies of the oral microbiome is that it is the whole oral ecosystem that influences the smell of breath. Mouthwashes for example kill the "bad" bacteria but also the "good" bacteria that counteract their action. It could well be that the best solution to combat bad breath, besides obvious good oral hygiene, is to try to affect the balance of microbe species in the mouth. Scientific American has an excellent article on this: To Beat Bad Breath, Keep the Bacteria in Your Mouth Happy.
This question originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions:
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Why Do My Socks Smell Really Weird
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/02/03/science-explains-why-some-people-are-naturally-smellier-than-others/
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