How blood can be smelled over distances in water by sharks when it would take the physical water that has the blood awhile to reach them?
In: Biology
As others said, sharks have highly sensitive olfactory glands, allowing them to detect blood in water at very low concentrations (1 part per 10 billion parts of water). This sensitivity enables them to sense blood from miles away. So when blood enters the water, its molecules disperse through the movement of the water (currents, waves). Sharks detect these molecules as they spread, not needing the physical water with the original blood to reach them. Their ability to follow the scent gradient—concentrations of blood molecules—helps them locate the source of the blood.
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