Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Olfaction

Olfaction

The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

The process of olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is a sophisticated chemical response system. The specialized sensory neurons that facilitate this process, known as olfactory receptor neurons, are situated in an upper segment of the nasal cavity, known as the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory sensory neurons are bipolar, with their dendrites extending from the epithelium's apex into the mucus that lines the nasal cavity. Airborne molecules, when inhaled, traverse the olfactory...

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...

Diversity of Antigen Receptors

Diversity of Antigen Receptors

Antigen receptors are essential components of the immune system crucial in defending the body against foreign invaders. These receptors are present on the surface of B and T cells, enabling them to recognize antigens and mount an appropriate immune response.
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...

Genetic Variation

Genetic Variation

Genetic variation is the diversity in DNA sequences found among individuals of the same species. This diversity is crucial for a species' survival because it helps organisms adapt to environmental changes. Genetic variation begins with fertilization, where an egg and sperm cell merge. Each of these cells carries 23 chromosomes, up to 46 in the fertilized egg. Chromosomes are long DNA strands that contain genes, the basic units of heredity.
Genes exist in different versions called alleles, which...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Designing a children's health exposomics study protocol: The CHILDREN_FIRST multi-country prospective cohort using multi-omics and personalized prevention approaches.

PloS one·2026

Same author

CrossFilt: a cross-species filtering tool that eliminates alignment bias in comparative genomics studies of primates.

Genome biology·2026

Same author

Beyond the mean: genetic control of gene expression fidelity and dispersion.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Biomarkers on the Icy Jovian Moons: Can Europa Also Provide Insights into Life's Origin?

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Beyond the baseline: mapping the context-specific regulatory landscape of disease.

Trends in genetics : TIG·2026

Same author

Evolution from Composome to RNA Replicase.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same journal

Nucleic acid-based therapeutic strategies for modulator-refractory cystic fibrosis-causing variants.

Human molecular genetics·2026

Same journal

Evidence that disruption of Discoidin domain receptor 2 contributes to palate malformations through effects on the extracellular matrix.

Human molecular genetics·2026

Same journal

Nicotinamide riboside prevents mitochondrial dysfunction in nemaline myopathy type 6.

Human molecular genetics·2026

Same journal

Retraction: Aqua-soluble DDQ reduces the levels of Dr1 and Ab and inhibits abnormal interactions between Ab and Dr1 and protects Alzheimer's disease neurons from Ab- and Dr1-induced mitochondrial and synaptic toxicities.

Human molecular genetics·2026

Same journal

Retraction: Breast cancer cell-derived exosome-delivered microRNA-155 targets UBQLN1 in adipocytes and facilitates cancer cachexia-related fat loss.

Human molecular genetics·2026

Same journal

Editor's Note: Protective effects of antidepressant citalopram against abnormal APP processing and amyloid beta-induced mitochondrial dynamics, biogenesis, mitophagy and synaptic toxicities in Alzheimer's disease.

Human molecular genetics·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity

High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity

Published on: June 2, 2014

Population differences in haplotype structure within a human olfactory receptor gene cluster.

Idan Menashe¹, Orna Man, Doron Lancet

¹Department of Molecular Genetics and the Crown Human Genome Center, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.

Human Molecular Genetics

|May 25, 2002

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Human olfactory receptor (OR) gene clusters show significant population differences in single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Pygmies exhibit higher frequencies of intact OR genes, suggesting diverse functional repertoires across human populations.

More Related Videos

Localization of Odorant Receptor Genes in Locust Antennae by RNA In Situ Hybridization

Localization of Odorant Receptor Genes in Locust Antennae by RNA In Situ Hybridization

Published on: July 13, 2017

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

Published on: April 23, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2026

High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity

High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity

Published on: June 2, 2014

Localization of Odorant Receptor Genes in Locust Antennae by RNA In Situ Hybridization

Localization of Odorant Receptor Genes in Locust Antennae by RNA In Situ Hybridization

Published on: July 13, 2017

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

Published on: April 23, 2019

Area of Science:

Genetics
Human Evolution
Population Genomics

Background:

Olfactory receptor (OR) genes are crucial for smell perception.
Genetic variations within OR gene clusters can impact olfactory function.
Understanding population-specific genetic differences in ORs is key to human evolutionary studies.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate population-level variations in single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within an olfactory receptor (OR) gene cluster.
To analyze differences in nucleotide diversity, haplotype distribution, and linkage disequilibrium (LD) among distinct human populations.
To explore the evolutionary implications of genetic variations in OR genes across different ethnogeographical groups.

Main Methods:

Genomic DNA analysis of 35 individuals from four populations (Pygmies, Bedouins, Yemenite Jews, Ashkenazi Jews).
Identification and characterization of 74 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a 400 kb OR gene cluster on chromosome 17p13.3.
Computation of linkage disequilibrium (LD) using both Clark's haplotype subtraction and the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm.

Main Results:

Substantial differences in nucleotide diversity, haplotype distribution, and LD patterns were observed among the studied populations.
Two Jewish populations displayed low haplotype diversity and minimal LD decay across the OR gene cluster.
Three functional SNPs showed varied frequencies across groups, with Pygmies having a higher prevalence of intact OR genes.

Conclusions:

Significant population-specific genetic variations exist within human olfactory receptor gene clusters.
These variations suggest that OR genes may have evolved distinct functional repertoires tailored to different human populations.
The findings contribute to understanding the genetic basis of olfactory diversity and human adaptation.