Final answer:
In the perceptual process, smells are categorized as a sensory receptor.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the perceptual process, smells are classified as a sensory receptor. Taste (gustation) and smell (olfaction) are chemical senses that employ receptors on the tongue and in the nose that bind directly with taste and odor molecules in order to transmit information to the brain for processing.
Both odors and tastes involve molecules that stimulate specific chemoreceptors. Although humans commonly distinguish taste as one sense and smell as another, they work together to create the perception of flavor.