If odors are tiny particles of what you’re smelling, can they infect?

Question

If odors are tiny particles of what you’re smelling, can they infect?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

You’re thinking about it backwards. Odors are not tiny particles, tiny particles give off odor.

So tiny particles can sometimes infect you, and sometimes those particles give off an odor, the odor itself is not the thing causing an infection.

An odor is the thing your nose detects, it’s like color. Asking if an odor can infect you is like asking if the color purple can infect you. No it can’t, but the thing it is attached to could.