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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.
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Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

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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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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 somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.

Introduction to Sensory Receptors

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Sensory receptors are vital in our ability to perceive and interpret the world. Sensory receptors are specialized cells in the peripheral nervous system that respond to various stimuli and enable one to experience different sensations. Based on specific criteria, sensory receptors are classified into distinct types.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2026

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

Published on: June 29, 2017

Precise and fuzzy coding by olfactory sensory neurons.

Derek J Hoare¹, Catherine R McCrohan, Matthew Cobb

¹Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

|September 26, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Olfactory sensory neurons in Drosophila larvae exhibit precise and variable "fuzzy coding" responses to odors. This variability is an intrinsic neural property, crucial for olfactory processing.

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Perforated Patch-clamp Recording of Mouse Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Intact Neuroepithelium: Functional Analysis of Neurons Expressing an Identified Odorant Receptor

Perforated Patch-clamp Recording of Mouse Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Intact Neuroepithelium: Functional Analysis of Neurons Expressing an Identified Odorant Receptor

Published on: July 13, 2015

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory system research
Insect olfaction

Background:

The precise nature and reproducibility of olfactory signals reaching the brain are largely unknown.
Measuring individual olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) responses is challenging due to their large numbers in most organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the in situ electrophysiological activity of individual OSNs in Drosophila larvae.
To determine the reproducibility and variability of OSN responses to aliphatic odors.

Main Methods:

Electrophysiological recordings of individual OSNs in Drosophila larvae.
Stimulation with 10 aliphatic odors (alcohols and esters).
Comparison between control larvae and larvae with genetically modified single functional OSNs (using Gal4-UAS system).

Main Results:

Most OSNs displayed consistent, precise responses (excitation or inhibition) to specific odors.
A subset of OSNs exhibited qualitatively variable responses, termed "fuzzy coding."
This variability was an intrinsic neuronal property, independent of odor type, concentration, stimulus duration, genotype, or interindividual differences.

Conclusions:

Drosophila larval peripheral olfactory code combines precise and fuzzy (stochastic) coding.
Fuzzy coding, characterized by qualitative response variability, is an intrinsic property of OSNs.
This phenomenon may occur in other organisms and contribute to olfactory processing variability.