osmo-, osmia-, osmi-, osm-, -osmia, -osmatic (smell) +

(Greek: odor; smell, smelling)

Don't confuse this osmo- word-unit with another osmo- unit meaning "impulse, thrust".

osmonosology
1. The branch of medicine dealing with diseases and disorders of the organs of smell.
2. The science of olfactory disorders.
osmophile
Someone who has a fondness for certain odors.
osmophilia
The love of or fondness for various odors.
osmophily (s) (noun) (no pl)
The osmotic features of existence at a high salt concentration: Osmophily can especially be applied to tumor pressure and cellular dehydration.
osmophore, osmophor
1. That part of a chemical which is responsible for the odor of the compound.
2. A group or radical that imparts odor to a compound.
osmoreceptor
A receptor in the brain that is sensitive to olfactory stimuli.
osmoscope
An instrument for detecting and for measuring odors.
oxyosmia (s) (noun) (no pl)
An abnormal acuteness of the sense of smell; oxyosphresia: Virginia's two children seem to have oxyosmia because they both can detect whiffs of vegetables and fruits from far away, even when the green grocer is around the corner and can't be seen!
parosmia, paraosmia (s) (noun); parosmias, paraosmias (pl)
Disorders of the sense of smell: "A parosmia is a sense of smell that is reversed in that agreeable odors are found to be offensive while offensive ones are agreeable."
phantosmia (s) (noun), phantosmias (pl)
1. Odor hallucinations that include smelling things that do not come from any real physical stimulus: "A person may experience phantosmias which range from rotting flesh to freshly-mowed grass, although most examples of these conditions report unpleasant aromas; so, phantosmia specializes in presenting the disagreeable."

"In some experiences, phantosmia has even given the impression to the afflicted individual that both the odor and source actually exist which is a condition known as pseudosmias or olfactory delusions."

"Both the upper nasal passages and the brain play a part in phantosmia; especially, the brain which generates the smell perception and phantosmia is connected to certain psychiatric disorders, including, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, and depression."

2. Etymology: phanto, ""; osmia from Greek osme, "smell".
pseudosmia (s) (noun), pseudosmias (pl)
1. A subjective or false sensation of an odor that is not present.
2. A sense of odors without actual causes for smelling them.

Inter-related cross references, directly or indirectly, involving word units meaning "smell, odor": arom-; brom-; odor-, odori-; olfacto-; osphresio-; ozon-.