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...

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...

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...

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

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,...

The Physiology of Taste

The Physiology of Taste

The perception of a salty flavor is facilitated by sodium ions within the oral salivary fluid. Upon consumption of a salty substance, salt crystals disassemble, leading to the liberation of its constituents—Na+ and Cl- ions. These ions subsequently dissolve into the salivary fluid present in the oral cavity. The external environment of the gustatory cells experiences an elevation in Na+ concentration, thereby establishing a potent concentration gradient. This gradient propels the diffusion of...

Gustation

Gustation

Gustation is a chemical sense that, along with olfaction (smell), contributes to our perception of taste. It starts with the activation of receptors by chemical compounds (tastants) dissolved in the saliva. The saliva and filiform papillae on the tongue distribute the tastants and increase their exposure to the taste receptors.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Age-associated oncocytic transformation correlates with an increased prevalence of small multiple Biondi body inclusions in human choroid plexus epithelial cells.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Alzheimer's disease associations with increased Biondi body amyloid in hippocampal-associated choroid plexus epithelial cells and ependymal cells.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Inducible lipid storage and steatosis in the human choroid plexus associated with age and adiposity.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Is Fluoroscopy Needed for Endourologic Treatment of Ureteral and Renal Stones? Results from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Studies by the FUTURE Collaborative of the Endourological Society.

Journal of endourology·2026

Same author

Multimodal Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals the Developing Human Liver Niche at Single-Cell Resolution.

Gastro hep advances·2026

Same author

Can methods that focus on eating behaviour and individual agency improve success rates in eating disorder recovery?

Journal of eating disorders·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2026

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

Chemotopic odorant coding in a mammalian olfactory system.

Brett A Johnson¹, Michael Leon

¹Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4550, USA. bajohnso@uci.edu

The Journal of Comparative Neurology

|May 8, 2007

Summary

Odor perception is spatially organized in the rat olfactory bulb, with chemical structure dictating response patterns. This spatial coding, not temporal patterns, accurately predicts perceived odor quality.

More Related Videos

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay

Published on: October 2, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 15, 2026

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

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay

Published on: October 2, 2017

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory System Research
Sensory Coding

Background:

The olfactory system processes a vast array of odorant chemicals.
Understanding the neural basis of odor quality perception is a key challenge in neuroscience.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the spatial organization of glomerular responses in the rat olfactory bulb.
To determine the relationship between odorant chemistry and neural response patterns.
To evaluate the role of spatial activity patterns in odor quality perception.

Main Methods:

Systematic mapping studies using 365 odorant chemicals.
Analysis of glomerular responses in the rat olfactory bulb.
Correlation of spatial response patterns with odorant chemical properties.

Main Results:

Glomerular responses are spatially organized in patterns related to odorant chemistry, including functional groups and molecular properties.
Spatial clustering of responses shifts with odorant carbon chain length.
Spatial activity patterns accurately predict perceived odor quality, supporting a spatial coding hypothesis.

Conclusions:

The olfactory bulb exhibits a spatially organized map of odorant responses.
Odorant chemistry dictates the spatial patterns of glomerular activation.
Spatial patterns of neural activity are the primary basis for odor quality perception, with limited support for temporal coding mechanisms.