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Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

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...
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

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...
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

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...
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory organs,...
Auditory Pathway01:15

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
06:32

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes

Published on: June 5, 2017

The olfactory granule cell: from classical enigma to central role in olfactory processing.

Gordon M Shepherd1, Wei R Chen, David Willhite

  • 1Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. gordon.shepherd@yale.edu

Brain Research Reviews
|April 17, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Olfactory bulb granule cells, once enigmatic, are now understood as key interneurons. They mediate lateral inhibition in mitral cells, crucial for enhancing odor discrimination and supporting lifelong neurogenesis.

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Whole Mount Labeling of Cilia in the Main Olfactory System of Mice
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Whole Mount Labeling of Cilia in the Main Olfactory System of Mice

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
06:32

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes

Published on: June 5, 2017

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

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Whole Mount Labeling of Cilia in the Main Olfactory System of Mice
08:42

Whole Mount Labeling of Cilia in the Main Olfactory System of Mice

Published on: December 27, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory system research

Background:

  • The granule cell of the olfactory bulb was historically enigmatic, with its neuronal status questioned due to the absence of an axon.
  • Early research in the 1960s identified granule cells as interneurons mediating mitral cell inhibition.

Observation:

  • Granule cells form dendrodendritic synapses with mitral cells, receiving input and providing feedback inhibition.
  • This circuit involves glutamatergic and GABAergic receptors, critical for synaptic transmission.
  • Lateral inhibition mediated by granule cells is proposed to enhance odor contrast.

Findings:

  • The granule cell-mitral cell circuit facilitates lateral inhibition, refining olfactory signal processing.
  • Ongoing research investigates how action potential propagation in mitral cell dendrites extends this inhibition across distances.
  • Granule cells exhibit adult neurogenesis, contributing to the plasticity of the olfactory system.

Implications:

  • Understanding this circuit is vital for comprehending olfactory perception and odor discrimination.
  • The role of granule cells in lifelong neurogenesis suggests potential for olfactory system repair and adaptation.
  • This research clarifies the function of a historically puzzling neural cell type in sensory processing.