Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

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...
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...
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Heterozygosity for neurodevelopmental disorder-associated <i>TRIO</i> variants yields distinct deficits in behavior, neuronal development, and synaptic transmission in mice.

eLife·2025
Same author

Laminar organization of the anterior olfactory nucleus-the interplay between neurogenesis timing and neuroblast migration.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2025
Same author

Timing Matters: Lessons From Perinatal Neurogenesis in the Olfactory Bulb.

The Journal of comparative neurology·2025
Same author

Olfactory bulb interneurons - The developmental timeline and targeting defined by embryonic neurogenesis.

Molecular and cellular neurosciences·2025
Same author

Olfactory Development and Dysfunction: Involvement of Microglia.

Physiology (Bethesda, Md.)·2024
Same author

Heterozygosity for neurodevelopmental disorder-associated <i>TRIO</i> variants yields distinct deficits in behavior, neuronal development, and synaptic transmission in mice.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same journal

A shining starlet: Nematostella vectensis as a model for developmental, regenerative, and comparative biology.

Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists·2026
Same journal

Multi-stage transcriptome analysis reveals genetic orchestration of rat testis development.

Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists·2026
Same journal

Three-dimensional observation of the muscle-tendon integration process in mouse embryos.

Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists·2026
Same journal

Goofy/123Cre lineage tracing differentiates olfactory and vomeronasal neurons from GnRH-1 and terminal nerve neurons during neuronal migration and reveals additional olfactory placode-derived cells in the brain.

Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists·2026
Same journal

Prenatal sexual dimorphism in human pelvic tilt at the onset of fetal ossification.

Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists·2026
Same journal

Meet the editorial team. An interview with Ralph Marcucio, Assistant Editor, University of California San Francisco, United States.

Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

The Olfactory System as a Model to Study Axonal Growth Patterns and Morphology In Vivo
08:29

The Olfactory System as a Model to Study Axonal Growth Patterns and Morphology In Vivo

Published on: October 30, 2014

Dynamic expression patterns of ECM molecules in the developing mouse olfactory pathway.

Elaine L Shay1, Charles A Greer, Helen B Treloar

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8082, USA.

Developmental Dynamics : an Official Publication of the American Association of Anatomists
|June 24, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Extracellular matrix molecules guide olfactory sensory neuron axons during development. These cues restrict and promote axon growth, establishing precise topographic projections in the olfactory pathway.

More Related Videos

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

An Effective Manual Deboning Method To Prepare Intact Mouse Nasal Tissue With Preserved Anatomical Organization
15:40

An Effective Manual Deboning Method To Prepare Intact Mouse Nasal Tissue With Preserved Anatomical Organization

Published on: August 10, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 4, 2026

The Olfactory System as a Model to Study Axonal Growth Patterns and Morphology In Vivo
08:29

The Olfactory System as a Model to Study Axonal Growth Patterns and Morphology In Vivo

Published on: October 30, 2014

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

An Effective Manual Deboning Method To Prepare Intact Mouse Nasal Tissue With Preserved Anatomical Organization
15:40

An Effective Manual Deboning Method To Prepare Intact Mouse Nasal Tissue With Preserved Anatomical Organization

Published on: August 10, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) axons form precise pathways during development.
  • Extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules are implicated in guiding axon pathfinding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of ECM molecules in establishing topographic projections during glomerulogenesis.
  • To characterize the expression patterns of specific ECM molecules during synapse formation in the olfactory pathway.

Main Methods:

  • Examined the expression of laminin-1, perlecan, tenascin-C, and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs).
  • Analyzed ECM molecule expression during glomerulogenesis and synaptic contact formation.

Main Results:

  • A coordinated spatio-temporal expression pattern of ECM molecules was observed.
  • These ECM cues appear to restrict OSN axons to the pathway while promoting outgrowth within it.

Conclusions:

  • ECM molecules are dynamically positioned to influence OSN axon navigation.
  • ECM cues play a crucial role in the establishment of the olfactory pathway's complex topography.