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The main reason why the human body is able to understand such a wide variety of smells is due to the olfactory cells. Olfactory cells are receptor cells, which receive an impulse from outside the body and change it to a nerve signal. An example of a receptor cell is the rods and cones in the eye. The rods and cones receive an impulse from the outside the body, i.e. an image, and change it to a nervous signal. The olfactory cells, also lay in about a 2' by 2' area in the roof of the nasal cavity. The cells are neurons, brain cells that have olfactory hairs. Olfactory hairs, also known as nose hairs, are cilia, hair like protrusions that can receive an impulse from outside the body and change it to a nerve impulse, that protrude to the center of the nasal cavity. When a chemical enters the nasal passage the olfactory cells are stimulated. These cells then send an impulse to the olfactory nerve. The olfactory nerve then sends an impulse to the brain, where the impulse is interrogated and deciphered.