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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...

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals

Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals

Published on: October 31, 2011

Perceptual stability during dramatic changes in olfactory bulb activation maps and dramatic declines in activation

R Homma¹, L B Cohen, E K Kosmidis

¹Department of Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. ryota.homma@yale.edu

The European Journal of Neuroscience

|March 18, 2009

Summary

Rats can identify odors across a wide concentration range, despite significant changes in olfactory nerve signals. This perceptual stability suggests few neural signals are needed for accurate odor recognition.

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Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

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Published on: August 18, 2014

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory System Research
Sensory Perception

Background:

Odorant concentration significantly impacts olfactory perception.
Neural responses in the olfactory system vary with concentration, potentially affecting odor identification.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare how odor concentration affects rats' ability to identify odors versus the calcium signals in olfactory neurons.
To investigate the relationship between neural input changes and perceptual stability in olfaction.

Main Methods:

Rats were trained to identify odorants at various concentrations.
Calcium imaging was used to measure neural activity in olfactory receptor neuron terminals in awake rats.
Odorant concentration dependence of neural responses was analyzed and modeled using Michaelis-Menten (Hill) equation.

Main Results:

Odor identification performance remained above chance across tested concentrations (0.0006%–35% saturated vapor).
Calcium signals were significantly reduced at concentrations below 1% saturated vapor, with dramatic changes in activated glomeruli maps.
Extrapolation of response data suggests calcium responses can be over 1000 times smaller at low concentrations compared to saturating concentrations.

Conclusions:

Perceptual stability in odor identification is maintained despite substantial changes in olfactory neural input amplitude and spatial maps.
A small number of action potentials in olfactory sensory neurons may be sufficient for accurate odor identification.