Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction01:24

Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction

Generalization, discrimination, and extinction are key concepts in operant conditioning that influence how behaviors are learned and maintained.
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

ICI-induced Granulomatous Sialadenitis is Responsive to Prednisone.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026
Same author

A subnanolitre tetherless optoelectronic microsystem for chronic neural recording in awake mice.

Nature electronics·2025
Same author

Odor encoding by fine-timescale spike synchronization patterns in the olfactory bulb.

Journal of neurophysiology·2025
Same author

Heterogeneous quantization regularizes spiking neural network activity.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Discovery of Methylated DNA Biomarkers for Potential Nonendoscopic Detection of Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

The American journal of gastroenterology·2025
Same author

Physiological state matching in a pair bonded poison frog.

Royal Society open science·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 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

Multiple learning parameters differentially regulate olfactory generalization.

Thomas A Cleland1, Venkata Anupama Narla, Karim Boudadi

  • 1Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. tac29@cornell.edu

Behavioral Neuroscience
|January 28, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Olfactory associative learning shapes how we generalize odors. Experience, like reward pairings, narrows the perceived variance in odor quality, demonstrating that learned associations significantly influence sensory representations.

More Related Videos

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

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 26, 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

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
  • Cognitive Science
  • Sensory Perception

Background:

  • Sensory representations are modulated by descending neural pathways.
  • Stimulus generalization is key to forming meaningful categories.
  • The olfactory system offers a model for studying perception and learning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how olfactory associative learning impacts odor generalization.
  • To determine if factors like reward pairings, concentration, and quality alter generalization gradients.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized associative learning paradigms in the olfactory system.
  • Manipulated odor-reward pairings, odor concentration, and reward quality.
  • Analyzed changes in olfactory generalization gradients.

Main Results:

  • Olfactory associative learning systematically altered generalization gradients.
  • Increased odor-reward pairings, concentration, or reward quality narrowed generalization.
  • Transformations varied qualitatively, suggesting distinct learning mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • Experience and descending influences significantly shape odor representations.
  • Olfactory generalization is dynamically regulated by associative learning.
  • Different learning determinants may not be interchangeable in their effects on perception.