Thread: What part of coffee beans produces the characteristic smell?

What chemical (s) produce characteristic smell given off by coffee? Is it just the caffeine, or is there other things as well or does the caffeine play no part in it at all?

(and, if any one knows) How does the human body receive this chemical in the nose to recognise the smell?

Anything with a chemistry background would be great thanks, i just can't find any information on it!

ESTERS!!!!!!!!!
all things with smells have esters. Fruits, synthetic items such as nail polish remover, and even coffee beans and coffee.
though there are many esters. Each different esters has its own unique smell. Eg, nail polish remover is methylethanoate.
esters are formed by the reaction between an alkanoic acid and a alkane.

the nose detects these esters through chemoreceptors in the nose, which then sends signals to the brain to tell us what we are smelling.