Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
10:42
A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation
Published on: August 18, 2014
Component-dependent urine responses in the rat accessory olfactory bulb.
Tokio Sugai1, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Nobuo Kato
1Department of Physiology, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Ishikawa, Japan. tokio@kanazawa-med.ac.jp
Neuroreport
|October 19, 2006
Summary
This study reveals how rat accessory olfactory bulbs process pheromonal signals. Volatile urine components activate the anterior bulb, while nonvolatile components activate the posterior bulb.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Olfactory system research
- Mammalian sensory processing
Background:
- The accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) is crucial for processing pheromonal cues in rodents.
- Understanding the specific activation patterns within the AOB is key to deciphering olfactory-driven behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map the high-resolution activation patterns in the rat accessory olfactory bulb in response to different urinary components.
- To differentiate the roles of the anterior and posterior AOB subdivisions in processing volatile and nonvolatile pheromonal information.
Main Methods:
- Optical imaging of intrinsic signals in rat brains.
- Stimulation using volatile and nonvolatile components of male and female urine.
- Analysis of activation maps in the anterior and posterior accessory olfactory bulb.
Main Results:
- Volatile urine components primarily activated the anterior AOB, regardless of urine or rat sex.
- Volatile female urine also activated the posterior AOB in males, but not females.
- Nonvolatile urine components activated the posterior AOB (rostral part) and to a lesser extent the anterior AOB in both sexes.
Conclusions:
- Volatile and nonvolatile urinary cues differentially activate the anterior and posterior subdivisions of the accessory olfactory bulb, respectively.
- This suggests distinct processing pathways for different types of pheromonal information within the rat olfactory system.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Physiology 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...
The olfactory...
01:25Olfaction
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...
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
01:03Olfactory 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...