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Extreme sensitivity in an olfactory system.

Anna Maria Angioy1, Alessandro Desogus, Iole Tomassini Barbarossa

  • 1Department of Experimental Biology, Section of General Physiology, University of Cagliari, Monserrato-Cagliari, Italy. amheart@unica.it

Chemical Senses
|May 29, 2003
PubMed
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Moths possess an extraordinary sense of smell, detecting crucial odors like pheromones with as few as six molecules. This extreme sensitivity primes insects for behavioral responses to important scents.

Area of Science:

  • Insect olfaction
  • Neuroethology
  • Sensory biology

Background:

  • Insects rely on specific antennal receptor neurons to detect biologically significant odors.
  • These odors include sex pheromones and host-plant volatiles, crucial for survival and reproduction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the olfactory response thresholds to behaviorally relevant odors in a moth.
  • To quantify the sensitivity of olfactory-induced cardiac responses.

Main Methods:

  • Recording olfactory-induced cardiac responses in moths.
  • Measuring response thresholds to various behaviorally relevant odors.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated olfactory response thresholds significantly lower than previously reported for any organism.

Related Experiment Videos

  • A cardiac response was triggered by fewer than six molecules of the most effective odors upon antennal stimulation.

    • Conclusions:

    • Moths exhibit extreme sensitivity to specific odors, detecting them at concentrations below six molecules.
    • This heightened sensitivity likely prepares the insect for behavioral responses at higher odor concentrations.