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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...
Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...
Perception01:28

Perception

Perception is a fundamental psychological process that enables individuals to organize, interpret, and consciously experience sensory information. This process is crucial for understanding and interacting with the world around us. It includes both bottom-up and top-down processing, each playing a distinct role in how we perceive our environment.
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
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The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...

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Updated: Jun 26, 2026

A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation
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Temporal processing of olfactory stimuli during retronasal perception.

Fiona J Wilkes1, David G Laing, Ian Hutchinson

  • 1School of Psychology, University of Western Sydney, Australia.

Behavioural Brain Research
|January 24, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Odor perception is less sensitive via the retronasal route than the orthonasal route. Odorant solubility in mucus, not water, better predicts retronasal perception of odor mixtures.

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Area of Science:

  • Olfactory perception
  • Chemosensation
  • Sensory science

Background:

  • Orthonasal (inhaled) and retronasal (mouth-borne) routes differ in odorant perception efficiency.
  • Previous studies indicate greater difficulty detecting and identifying single odorants via the retronasal route.
  • The role of mucus adsorption and odorant solubility in retronasal perception remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether odorant solubility in mucus predicts perception outcomes during retronasal olfaction.
  • To determine if mucus solubility or water solubility is a better predictor for retronasal perception of binary odor mixtures.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated odorant solubility in mucus and water.
  • Determined which component of a binary odor mixture was perceived first during retronasal perception.
  • Assessed intensity levels of single odorants via the retronasal route.

Main Results:

  • Odorant solubility in mucus, rather than water, better predicted which odor was perceived first and identified more readily in retronasal binary mixtures.
  • Lower intensity levels of single odorants were perceived via the retronasal route, suggesting greater adsorption.

Conclusions:

  • Odorant solubility in mucus is a key factor influencing retronasal perception.
  • Greater adsorption in the nasopharyngeal pathway likely contributes to reduced sensitivity during retronasal olfaction.