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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

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...

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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

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

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

Published on: June 5, 2017

Precise circuitry links bilaterally symmetric olfactory maps.

Zhiqiang Yan¹, Jie Tan, Chang Qin

¹Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.

|May 24, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The mouse olfactory map maintains precise connections across brain hemispheres. The anterior olfactory nucleus pars externa (AONpE) links olfactory columns, integrating sensory maps for odor information processing.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory System
Sensory Map Integration

Background:

Olfactory sensory neurons expressing a common receptor converge onto stereotyped glomeruli in the mouse main olfactory bulb (MOB).
This forms a precise olfactory map of approximately 1800 olfactory columns representing about 1000 odorant receptors.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if the precise olfactory map is maintained across synapses, including connections between MOB hemispheres.
To identify the neural pathways responsible for linking isofunctional olfactory columns in contralateral MOBs.
To determine the role of these interhemispheric connections in olfactory information processing.

Main Methods:

Focal injection of tracer into genetically identified glomeruli in the mouse MOB.
Tracing the topographic connections to identify pathways linking olfactory columns.
Physiological and behavioral assays to assess the functional role of identified pathways.

Main Results:

A precise olfactory map is maintained over several synapses, extending to link bilateral isofunctional olfactory columns.
The anterior olfactory nucleus pars externa (AONpE) forms a critical bilateral connection between contralateral MOBs.
The AONpE plays a significant role in the bilateral exchange of odorant-specific information.

Conclusions:

The interbulbar link through the AONpE integrates bilateral olfactory sensory maps.
This pathway facilitates the exchange of olfactory information between the two MOB hemispheres.
The AONpE serves as a unique model system for studying interhemispheric connections in sensory processing.