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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...

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...

Auditory Pathway

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 Cochlea

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.

Neural Circuits

Neural Circuits

Neural circuits and neuronal pools are two of the main structures found in the nervous system. Neural circuits are networks of neurons that work together to carry out a specific task or process. They consist of interconnected neurons and glial cells, which provide structural and metabolic support.
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Multi-unit Recording Methods to Characterize Neural Activity in the Locust (Schistocerca Americana) Olfactory Circuits

Multi-unit Recording Methods to Characterize Neural Activity in the Locust (Schistocerca Americana) Olfactory Circuits

Published on: January 25, 2013

Encoding of olfactory information with oscillating neural assemblies.

G Laurent, H Davidowitz

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|September 23, 1994

Summary

Different odors activate specific, dynamic neural ensembles in locusts, suggesting a temporal coding mechanism for olfactory information. This dynamic assembly of oscillating neurons may support associative learning.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory system research
Neural oscillations

Background:

Fast oscillations in local field potentials are linked to rhythmic neuronal activity.
Their role in information coding within the brain, particularly the olfactory system, remains debated.
Previous observations were primarily in the neocortex.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of neural oscillations in olfactory coding in the locust antennal lobe and mushroom body.
To determine if odorants evoke specific patterns of neuronal oscillations.
To explore the dynamic nature of neuronal ensembles during odor perception.

Main Methods:

Local field potential and intracellular recordings were performed in the locust (Schistocerca americana) brain.

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

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Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Multi-unit Recording Methods to Characterize Neural Activity in the Locust (Schistocerca Americana) Olfactory Circuits

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Published on: January 25, 2013

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Recordings were analyzed during exposure to different odors.

Neuronal firing phases and ensemble dynamics were examined in relation to odor stimuli.

Main Results:

Different odors induced coherent oscillations in distinct, yet overlapping, neuronal ensembles.
The phase of individual neuron firing relative to the population rhythm was odor-independent.
The composition of oscillating neuronal ensembles evolved during sustained odor exposure.

Conclusions:

Odorants are encoded by specific, dynamic assemblies of coherently oscillating neurons.
This distributed and temporal representation of olfactory information may enable combinatorial coding.
The findings suggest a mechanism for associative learning in sensory networks.