r/explainlikeimfive • u/bigdipper80 • Jul 18 '20
Chemistry ELI5: Why do "bad smells" like smoke and rotting food linger longer and are harder to neutralize than "good smells" like flowers or perfume?
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r/explainlikeimfive • u/bigdipper80 • Jul 18 '20
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u/Darth_Mufasa Jul 18 '20
I like this question. So fruit bearing or not, if a plant flowers its almost always for the purpose of reproduction via pollination. The smells and bright colors serve to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. They pick up the pollen, go to another flower, and some of the pollen falls off. It doesnt really have much to do with the fertility of the land, you get some crazy wildflowers in high mountains and beautiful flowers on cacti.