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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...

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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.
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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.
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Related Experiment Video

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A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

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Olfactory hypersensitivity in migraineurs: a H(2)(15)O-PET study.

G Demarquay¹, J P Royet, G Mick

¹Service de Neurologie, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse; INSERM, U821, Université Claude-Bernard, Institut Fédératif des Neurosciences de Lyon, Lyon, France. genevieve.demarquay@chu-lyon.fr

Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache

|August 30, 2008

Summary

Olfactory hypersensitivity in migraine patients shows altered brain activity, particularly in olfactory processing regions. This suggests a unique neurobiological basis for smell sensitivity in migraineurs, potentially linked to odour-triggered attacks.

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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

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Neurology
Medical Imaging

Background:

Olfactory hypersensitivity (OHS) is a common symptom during migraine attacks and in migraine-free periods.
OHS is associated with odour-triggered migraine attacks, but its underlying pathophysiology is not understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate olfactory processing in migraineurs with OHS.
To compare regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during olfactory stimulation between migraineurs with OHS and controls.

Main Methods:

A H(2)(15)O-positron emission tomography (PET) study was conducted on 11 migraineurs with OHS and 12 controls.
Participants underwent PET scans with olfactory stimulation (odour) and a non-olfactory baseline (odourless air).
Voxel-based and region-of-interest analyses compared rCBF between groups.

Main Results:

Migraineurs with OHS exhibited higher baseline rCBF in the left piriform cortex and antero-superior temporal gyrus compared to controls.
During odour stimulation, migraineurs showed increased activation in the left temporal pole but decreased activation in frontal and temporo-parietal regions, posterior cingulate, and right locus coeruleus.

Conclusions:

Altered rCBF patterns during olfactory stimulation in migraineurs with OHS may indicate a specific role for the piriform cortex and antero-superior temporal gyrus.
These findings suggest potential cerebrovascular or top-down regulatory abnormalities contributing to OHS and odour-triggered migraines.
Further research comparing migraineurs with and without OHS is needed to clarify the causal relationship.