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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...

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

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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...

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The diencephalon, etymologically translated as 'through brain,' plays an integral role as the conduit between the cerebrum and the vast extent of the nervous system. However, the olfactory system is an exception, as it interfaces directly with the cerebrum. The diencephalon, deeply ensconced beneath the cerebrum, primarily consists of three paired structures — the thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithelamus. It also includes accessory structures such as the subthalamus, which houses the subthalamic...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Recording Temperature-induced Neuronal Activity through Monitoring Calcium Changes in the Olfactory Bulb of Xenopus laevis

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Glomerulus-specific, long-latency activity in the olfactory bulb granule cell network.

Vikrant Kapoor¹, Nathaniel N Urban

¹Department of Biological Sciences and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

|November 10, 2006

Summary

Inhibitory interneurons in the olfactory bulb generate reliable neural firing patterns. This timing is precisely controlled by input source, suggesting a key role for inhibition in olfactory temporal coding.

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Published on: June 5, 2017

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory System Research
Neural Coding

Background:

Temporal coding via action potential patterns is crucial in sensory systems.
Focus has been on excitatory neurons, leaving the role of inhibitory interneurons unclear.
Understanding inhibitory interneuron function is vital for comprehending neural information processing.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate mechanisms of temporal pattern generation in mouse olfactory bulb inhibitory interneurons.
Clarify the contribution of inhibitory interneurons to reliable neural signaling.
Explore how input specificity influences inhibitory neuron timing.

Main Methods:

In vitro imaging of population activity in mouse olfactory bulb.
Analysis of temporal firing patterns in inhibitory interneurons.
Stimulation of specific glomeruli to assess input-dependent latency.

Main Results:

Olfactory bulb inhibitory interneurons exhibit slow population activity but reliable individual neuron firing times.
Individual granule cell latency is highly consistent across trials for a specific input.
Latency varies significantly when different inputs activate the same granule cell.

Conclusions:

Inhibitory interneuron activity timing is tightly regulated by the specific sensory input.
Inhibition, mediated by granule cells, likely contributes to reliable temporal patterns in mitral cells.
These findings highlight the critical role of inhibitory networks in olfactory temporal coding.