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Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
Neuroplasticity01:01

Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.
Plasticity00:58

Plasticity

Plasticity is the property where an object loses its elasticity and undergoes irreversible deformation, even after the deformation forces are eliminated. If a material deforms irreversibly without increasing stress or load, then this is called ideal plasticity. For example, when a force is applied to an aluminum rod, it changes its shape, but it does not return to its original shape once the force is removed. Plastic deformation or ductility is thus a permanent deformation or change in the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation
10:42

A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation

Published on: August 18, 2014

Learning-dependent structural plasticity in the adult olfactory pathway.

Seth V Jones1, Dennis C Choi, Michael Davis

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|December 5, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Adult mice show enhanced olfactory learning through structural changes in the nose and brain. Emotional conditioning alters primary sensory neuron populations, improving odor discrimination.

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An Objective and Reproducible Test of Olfactory Learning and Discrimination in Mice
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An Objective and Reproducible Test of Olfactory Learning and Discrimination in Mice

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Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation
10:42

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Published on: August 18, 2014

Experience-Dependent Remodeling of Juvenile Brain Olfactory Sensory Neuron Synaptic Connectivity in an Early-Life Critical Period
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An Objective and Reproducible Test of Olfactory Learning and Discrimination in Mice
09:33

An Objective and Reproducible Test of Olfactory Learning and Discrimination in Mice

Published on: March 22, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory System Plasticity
  • Sensory Learning

Background:

  • Human olfactory learning enhances odor discrimination.
  • Understanding the neural mechanisms of adult olfactory learning is crucial.
  • The olfactory system's unique wiring offers insights into sensory plasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the structural mechanisms underlying olfactory learning in adult mice.
  • To determine if emotional learning alters primary sensory representations in the olfactory system.
  • To explore the plasticity of olfactory sensory neurons and their projections.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized transgenic mice with labeled M71 odorant receptors activated by acetophenone.
  • Employed olfactory-dependent fear conditioning and conditioned place preference paradigms.
  • Compared M71-specific glomeruli size and sensory neuron numbers in trained versus untrained mice.

Main Results:

  • Odor-trained mice exhibited larger M71-specific glomeruli compared to controls.
  • An increase in M71-specific sensory neurons was observed in trained mice.
  • These structural changes were specific to associative olfactory learning.

Conclusions:

  • Primary sensory neuron populations and their projections in the olfactory system remain plastic in adults.
  • This structural plasticity provides a mechanism for learning-enhanced olfactory sensitivity and discrimination.
  • Findings suggest a basis for improved odor perception following associative learning experiences.