Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Surface Functionalization Studies in the Development of Nanohole Plasmonic Sensors.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Conserved post-odor dynamics in the olfactory systems of mice and locusts.

iScience·2026

Same author

Spectral Super-Resolution Colloidal SERS Spectroscopy for Multiplexed Detection of Protein Biomarkers.

Nano letters·2026

Same author

Intermethod Characterization of Commercially Available Extracellular Vesicles as Reference Materials.

Biomolecules·2026

Same author

PEDOT:PSS Microparticles for Extrudable and Bioencapsulating Conducting Granular Hydrogel Bioelectronics.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2025

Same author

Adaptation invariant concentration discrimination in an insect olfactory system.

eLife·2025

Same journal

Biodegradable Self-Powered Electrotherapy Patch for Integrated Smart Wound Management.

Analytical chemistry·2026

Same journal

Metabolite Fraction Libraries for Quantitative NMR Metabolomics.

Analytical chemistry·2026

Same journal

Self-Contained Lateral-Flow Microfluidic Bead-Based Assay for Rapid Quantification of Early-Stage Kidney Biomarkers.

Analytical chemistry·2026

Same journal

Overcoming the Debye Shielding Effect with Concave-Convex Structures for Sensitivity-Enhanced Thin-Film Transistors.

Analytical chemistry·2026

Same journal

Mode-Phase-Difference Photothermal Spectroscopy Assisted by a Bent Biconically Tapered Microfiber for Gas Sensing.

Analytical chemistry·2026

Same journal

Negative-Pressure-Actuated Microfluidics: A Dual-Mode Point-of-Care Sensor for Allergen-Specific IgE in Interstitial Fluid.

Analytical chemistry·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Published on: August 4, 2014

Bioinspired methodology for artificial olfaction.

Baranidharan Raman¹, Joshua L Hertz, Kurt D Benkstein

¹Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA.

Analytical Chemistry

|October 16, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a novel hierarchical approach for artificial olfaction, improving chemical classification of unknown substances. This method enhances electronic nose reliability and real-world applicability by decoupling recognition and generalization challenges.

More Related Videos

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Published on: August 27, 2021

Insect-controlled Robot: A Mobile Robot Platform to Evaluate the Odor-tracking Capability of an Insect

Insect-controlled Robot: A Mobile Robot Platform to Evaluate the Odor-tracking Capability of an Insect

Published on: December 19, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Published on: August 4, 2014

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Published on: August 27, 2021

Insect-controlled Robot: A Mobile Robot Platform to Evaluate the Odor-tracking Capability of an Insect

Insect-controlled Robot: A Mobile Robot Platform to Evaluate the Odor-tracking Capability of an Insect

Published on: December 19, 2016

Area of Science:

Chemosenory science
Microsystems engineering

Background:

Artificial olfaction, or electronic noses, faces challenges in recognizing unknown chemicals and maintaining performance over time.
Current methods often require pre-training sensors for every possible chemical, limiting their practical use.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a biologically inspired hierarchical approach for artificial olfaction.
To decouple the problems of chemical recognition and generalization for improved analyte classification.
To enhance the robustness and applicability of chemical sensors in real-world scenarios.

Main Methods:

A hierarchical strategy was employed, refining analyte identification from general to precise categories.
Optimized response features were utilized at each hierarchical step.
A MEMS-based chemiresistive microsensor array was used for validation.

Main Results:

The hierarchical approach successfully classified unknown analytes.
The method demonstrated improved mitigation of sensor-aging effects.
This biologically inspired strategy offers a unique departure from existing artificial olfaction techniques.

Conclusions:

The proposed hierarchical method enhances the generalization capability of electronic noses.
This approach improves the classification of unknown chemicals and sensor reliability.
The findings advance the utility of chemical sensors for diverse real-world applications.